New York v. Trump
Case Summary
LWV joined a lawsuit filed by New York State and a coalition of state and local governments claiming that the Trump Administration’s attempts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 Census was unconstitutional.
In July of 2020, the Trump Administration issued a memo stating that they would exclude undocumented immigrants from the population counts produced by the 2020 Census. The State of New York and a coalition of 20 state and local governments filed a lawsuit, which LWV joined as amicus, claiming that the memo was in violation of Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that the census must count every “person.” Our brief argued that the Trump Administration’s memo could intimidate immigrant populations from completing the census, resulting in an undercount. The initial case originated in the Southern District of New York, and it was later heard in the US Supreme Court, who held that the case was premature, as the Trump Administration had not acted on their memo.
The League was represented by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
LWV Timeline
Initial Complaint Filed
The State of New York and a coalition of 20 other states, cities, and localities files a complaint against President Donald Trump and his Administration.
District Court Oral Argument for Summary Judgment and Preliminary Injunction
The oral argument in District Court for summary judgment and a preliminary injunction is held. The District Court grants summary judgment.
Appeal to the Second Circuit and SCOTUS
The District Court’s grant of summary judgment is appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.
LWV Files Amicus Brief with SCOTUS
The LWVUS, LWV of California, LWV of Texas, and LWV of Florida filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States.
SCOTUS Oral Argument
Oral arguments for the case are heard in front of the US Supreme Court.
SCOTUS Decision
The US Supreme Court held that the suit was premature since the Trump Administration had not yet carried out its intention to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census.