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ATA curates articles from around the world as a service for members. ATA members receive these articles in Newsbriefs, an e-newsletter. See full issues of Newsbriefs.
This Interpreter Helped Migrants Navigate Immigration Court. Then She Was Detained by DHS
As a courtroom interpreter for the Texas immigration system, it was Meenu Batra’s job to ensure migrants understood the proceedings of immigration court—the good and the bad. In March, Batra…
Education Department Shutters Office of English Language Acquisition
The U.S. Department of Education closed the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) on May 14, over a year after gutting its staff to just one. The office reportedly had…
Bill Proposed in U.S. Congress to Create Federal Language Access Board
Throughout 2025 and early 2026, a flurry of language access legislation has been proposed in the U.S. after President Trump enacted Executive Order (EO) 14224, declaring English the official language…
Missouri House of Representatives Backs Bill Linking Struggling Families with Local Resources
A bill intended to connect Missourians in need with community resources has passed the Missouri House of Representatives, setting up a final vote in the state Senate that would send…
Texas Court Interpreter Detained by ICE at Airport Says She’s Been ‘Humiliated and Treated Like a Criminal’
Meenu Batra, a longtime Texas court interpreter being held in a federal detention facility after being detained by federal immigration officers, called the experience “degrading.” Batra, who has lived in…
U.S. Department of Education Dissolving Federal Office Serving English Learners
The U.S. Department of Education plans to dissolve the office that supports the country’s five million English learners. The move comes as the Trump administration has called to dismantle the…
Northern Ireland to Offer Free Sign Language Classes for Deaf Children
Northern Ireland will become the first part of the U.K. to provide free sign language classes to all Deaf children and their families through a new sign language law being…
Washington State Passes Law to Promote Consistent Language Access
In a win for local language access efforts in the U.S., Washington State passed SHB 2475, a bill aimed at standardizing language access guidelines across all state agencies. SHB 2475,…
China Approves “Ethnic Unity” Law Requiring Minorities to Learn Mandarin
China has approved a new law that claims to help promote “ethnic unity,” but critics say it will further erode the rights of minority groups. On paper, the law aims…
Sign Language Students Expand Access at University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Games
A new group of volunteers is helping more fans feel part of the crowd during athletic events at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. American Sign Language (ASL) students, under…
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