A coalition of Deaf Americans, led by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration for discontinuing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at White House press briefings.
The suit, lodged on May 28, argues the move violates federal disability law and a 2020 court ruling mandating live ASL interpretation during official government communications.
During his first term, then-President Donald Trump only began using ASL interpreters after legal pressure from the NAD, specifically for COVID-19 briefings.
His successor, Joe Biden, expanded interpreter use. However, after Trump resumed office for a second term, the White House abruptly ended live ASL interpretation, prompting the NAD to seek judicial intervention once again.
The plaintiffs, Deaf Americans Derrick Ford and Matthew Bonn, argue that written transcripts or closed captioning are insufficient, especially for those who communicate solely through ASL.
They cite Judge James Boasberg’s earlier ruling, which declared that omitting ASL interpreters deprives Deaf individuals of meaningful access to vital government information.
The lawsuit also points to Trump’s March declaration of English as the official U.S. language and his rescinding of a 2000 executive order that ensured access for people with limited English proficiency, including Deaf ASL users.
The NAD contends that hundreds of thousands of Deaf Americans rely solely on ASL. Without real-time interpretation, they risk being excluded from critical government communications, particularly during emergencies or national events.
The Trump administration has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
