The Executive Order Explained
At Kaplan Interpreting Services, we believe understanding isn’t optional, it’s essential.
The Struggle for Clarity: A Personal Perspective
Picture this: You’re in a hospital, struggling to explain your symptoms, but the words don’t come because English isn’t your strength. Your chest tightens, not just from pain, but from fear that no one will understand. For decades, federal guidance ensured people like you, limited-English-proficient (LEP) individuals, had a voice through professional interpreters. Then came the March 1, 2025, Executive Order, wiping out that safety net. At Kaplan Interpreting Services, we’re sounding the alarm: this isn’t just a policy tweak, it’s a seismic shift that could silence millions.
The Executive Order: What It Means
On March 1, President Trump signed an Executive Order designating English as the official language of the United States. In doing so, it revoked Executive Order 13166, a cornerstone of language access since 2000. That earlier order required federal agencies and federally funded organizations to provide meaningful access to LEP individuals, ensuring interpreters and translators were available for everything from court hearings to doctor’s visits. Now, that mandate is gone. Poof. Decades of progress, erased in a single stroke.
What’s Still in Place?
Don’t get me wrong, some legal protections still stand. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act still require language assistance in certain contexts. But without a federal push, enforcement will weaken. Hospitals, courts, and agencies can now sidestep these services, leaving gaps where clarity and fairness once lived. As an interpreter, I’ve seen how a single word can change a diagnosis or a verdict. As an agency owner, I know those gaps will hurt real people, patients, defendants, immigrants like me.
So, what happens when policy prioritizes English over equity? I’m not sure yet, but I’m worried. This could be the first step toward a future where human interpreters are replaced by cheaper, colder solutions. Could AI be waiting in the wings? That’s what we’ll explore next.
For now, one thing’s clear: at Kaplan Interpreting Services, we’re not standing still. Language access isn’t just our job, it’s our mission. What do you think this change means for the people you care about? Let’s talk.
CEO & Founder
Born in Dallas, Texas, Alexandra grew up surrounded by Spanish, English, Arabic, and Italian. After moving to Venezuela, Spanish became her primary language. She holds a Master's in Healthcare Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and is a California court certified and medical interpreter.
She founded Kaplan Interpreting Services after seeing an industry that treated interpreters as interchangeable and clients as ticket numbers. She built a protocol-driven operation where every interpreter is hand-selected and credentialed for the specific setting, every client has a dedicated point of contact, and risk management is built into every assignment.
Her career reached a historic milestone when she interpreted the conversation between President-elect Biden and Pope Francis. That assignment, along with engagements for Nike and the Summit of the Americas, set the standard for every client engagement that followed.
"The same protocols that protected that historic conversation now protect every assignment we handle."