Linguistic Justice in the Face of Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric: The Threat of English-Only Policies to Spanish Speakers and Multilingualism in the United States

Abstract

Anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified under the Trump 2025 administration, reinforcing linguistic discrimination and fostering a climate of fear for Spanish speakers in public spaces. In this essay, I examine the linguistic and historical relevance of Spanish in the U.S., the consequences of linguistic profiling on minority language speakers, and the implications of the 2025 executive order designating English as the official language. I argue that such policies erode linguistic rights and deepen social inequalities. Additionally, I consider the role of schools and churches, which are critical spaces for language preservation and cultural expression and are being increasingly threatened by immigration enforcement. In advocating for sociolinguistic justice, this essay calls for policies that recognize and protect the linguistic rights of Spanish and other minority language speakers, framing multilingualism as a societal strength rather than a threat.