At the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), we are committed to ensuring that all persons in the United States, regardless of the language they speak, have meaningful access to the work of the Department. This commitment aligns with the DHS mission and Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” which recently celebrated its 24th anniversary.
At its core, the Order acknowledges a fundamental principle: that the federal government must be able to understand and communicate with all people in the United States, including those with limited English proficiency (LEP). The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) leads the Department’s efforts to provide meaningful language access for the millions that we serve every day. This work is critical because we know that effective communication is key to providing access to DHS services and programs. DHS interacts with more people on a daily basis than any other federal agency – whether through screening at our nation’s airports and ports of entry, providing critical life-saving disaster assistance, or connecting diverse communities with law enforcement for strategies on how to better protect local neighborhoods.
DHS engages with stakeholders to understand language barriers that some populations may face in accessing federal and federally funded programs or services and works to eliminate them. For example, in November 2023, the Department joined interagency partners across the federal government in releasing its updated language access plan, an important milestone that underscores a commitment to integrate language access considerations in DHS policies, programs, and activities.
The Department works to integrate language access considerations in its policies, programs, and activities to support our workforce and the public that we serve. Together with DHS agencies and offices, CRCL has prioritized implementing policies and procedures to eliminate language barriers to our programs or the programs we fund, through the following:
- Developed the agency’s first-ever Indigenous Languages Plan in 2024, which strengthens language services for Indigenous persons from Latin America who interact with DHS;
- Individual DHS agencies and offices have developed individual language access plans, along with resources and tools that enable the Department to carry out its diverse mission while supporting its workforce and the public;
- Provide a technical assistance program for recipients of DHS financial assistance that covers recipients’ requirements for language access;
- Implemented new protocols and tools for identifying individuals’ primary language;
- Established a multi-award language services contract for DHS agencies and offices, which requires standards and qualifications for interpreters and translators to ensure these language services are of high quality;
- Created an online portal for filing allegations of civil rights and civil liberties violations, including allegations related to language access, that is available in multiple languages; and
- Facilitate regular engagement with communities on language access at DHS.
For more information on the Department’s Language Access initiatives, please visit our Language Access page.