The ADC welcomes the ruling by Judge Jesse Furman in the Southern District of New York against the Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. ADC in conjunction with a coalition of civil rights organizations, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for attempting to include the citizenship question in the 2020 census.
As plaintiffs in the lawsuit, ADC and partner organizations demonstrated that the administration’s efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census is a racially motivated form of discrimination and violated the Administrative Procedures Act.
ADC celebrates the court’s ruling as a win for civil rights. Yet, there are still challenges to overcome for a fair and accurate census. In a statement to the press, Samer Khalaf, ADC National President, emphasized this victory and the work ahead for a census that includes and represents the voices of all communities in the US:
“The citizenship question is one of many obstacles put forth by this administration to prevent a fair and accurate census. It is clear that the goal of the administration is to strike fear into immigrant and communities of color to not participate in the 2020 census. Unfortunately, we believe that the administration will continue to fight the court’s decision. We emphasize the importance for congress to uphold the decision and act to remove the citizenship question from the census permanently.”
ADC will continue to ensure that immigrants and communities of color are protected to participate in the census. It is imperative for all Americans that congress act and uphold the court’s ruling to better ensure that there is a fair and accurate census that counts the voices of all communities in the US.