English-only or Official English laws seek to establish English as the official language of a community, state, or the United States as a whole. Some statutes simply declare English as the "official" language of the city or state, while others limit or bar government's provision of foreign language assistance and services. However, no matter how narrowly crafted, these types of legislation violate the rights of immigrants, discourage integration, and are unnecessary.

English-only laws violate the rights of immigrants. English-only laws and policies create numerous problems depending on their scope. Some require the government to use only English even when providing such basic services as emergency assistance and medical care, in violation of federal and state laws that require such services to be provided in languages other than English. These laws, which deny access to crucial government services on the basis of language and by extension national origin, are discriminatory and violate the rights of immigrants. Without multilingual materials and assistance, foreign-born citizens have difficulty participating in the election process, while all immigrants with limited English proficiency face barriers to receiving high quality health care, accessing the justice system when they have legal problems, and fighting discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas. 

English-only laws discourage integration of immigrant communities. English-only resolutions create a climate of hostility towards recent immigrants who feel excluded from the community. By officially restricting government business to English, politicians send a message that immigrants are not welcome to participate in the life of the community, discouraging integration. Integration is important for immigrant communities and is positive for both immigrants and society.

English-only laws are unnecessary. Not only do English-only laws violate the human rights of immigrants and discourage integration, they are also unnecessary. Most immigrants are already highly motivated to learn English, but achieving fluency is a process that takes many years. According to MALDEF and the Asian American Justice Center:

• “Today’s immigrants learn English as quickly as previous groups… 92% of [second generation] Hispanics speak English 'well' as do 96% of [second generation] Asians, though most also speak another language at home."
• Limited-English-proficient (LEP) adults want to learn English, but have few opportunities to do so… "57.4% of the ESL providers they surveyed had waiting lists of people seeking ESL services. Since fiscal year (FY) 2004, funding for adult education programs has decreased by more than $10 million.”

English-only supporters are closely connected with anti-immigrant and white supremacist groups. Groups such as ProEnglish or U.S. English advocate for the adoption of English-only legislation. These groups believe that declaring English the official language is essential and beneficial for the US Government and its citizens. As the organization, U.S. English states on their website, “Official English unites Americans by providing a common means of communication; it encourages immigrants to learn English in order to use government services and participate in the democratic process; and it defines a much-needed common sense language policy.”

Rather than pass laws that discriminate against immigrants and isolate them from community, institutions and services, state and local governments should focus on overcoming the real barriers to learning English and to integration.