by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News July 16, 2026

An estimated 14 million U.S. citizens do not speak English fluently or at all, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

The U.S. Census Bureau tracks the population with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), which is defined as anyone who speaks English “less than ‘very well.’ ” According to data from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Migration Policy Institute, the broader breakdown of the U.S. population and citizenship status reveals that roughly 25 to 27 million people living in the United States have limited English proficiency (representing about 8% of the total population).

Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill on Thursday introduced legislation to ensure naturalized American citizens can speak English.

The English Language Proficiency Act would rescind the English proficiency and civics examination exceptions from U.S. naturalization law, Breitbart News reported.

“English is the common tongue that holds American communities together,” Gill said in a statement to Breitbart News. “It is of paramount importance that every American citizen be able to communicate in the same language. My bill holds everyone to the same standard already on the books, restoring equal treatment under nationalization law.”

Under current law, naturalization applicants over the age of 50 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years, and applicants over the age of 55 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 15 years, are exempt from the English language requirement. Applicants over the age of 65 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years receive additional special consideration on the civics examination.

Gill’s legislation eliminates these age-based exceptions and requires naturalization applicants to meet the same English language and civics standards regardless of age.

“The legislation does not impose any new naturalization requirements. Instead, in the spirit of equality, the bill removes a special class of petitioners based on age who currently receive a pass on meeting lawful requirements,” Breitbart News noted.

According to 2026 data released by the State Department, the number of people who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million (about 1 in 10) to 67.8 million (about 1 in 5) over three recent decades, according to the Census Bureau.

The top five non-English languages spoken in U.S. households also include Chinese (spoken by 3.49 million in U.S. homes, or 5.2 percent of such households); Tagalog (1.7 million, or 2.6 percent); Vietnamese (1.5 million, or 2.3 percent); and Arabic (1.2 million, or 1.9 percent).

Freedom Rocks! Until It Is Gone

  Rep. Brandon Gill introduces bill requiring naturalized citizens to learn English, WorldTribune.com