Census Moves Forward Without Citizenship Question

Focus must be on a complete count, not citizenship data 

WASHINGTON – The League of Women Voters board president Chris Carson and CEO Virginia Kase issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s Rose Garden announcement that he will seek a citizenship count through existing government data, and not in the 2020 Census: 

"Now that the threat of a citizenship question on the Census appears to have ended, the focus must turn toward ensuring the 2020 Census is conducted appropriately and comprehensively. It’s even more important to concentrate resources on reaching hard-to-count communities now, and to combat the fearmongering created by this debate that intended to decrease participation. 

"We have deep concerns about the president’s suggestion that states can exclude non-citizens from the district map drawing process. The Constitution directs redistricting to be based on the Census – a process mandated to count all persons living in the United States, regardless of citizenship status. The administration’s forthcoming citizenship report poses real concerns about how that data could be used to exclude immigrants.  

"The Census is about much more than political representation. Census information is used to distribute funding for disaster relief, ensuring communities have the right resources in place to protect all living persons. Census data is used by businesses for investing and local governments to fund hospitals, school systems, and infrastructure. An inaccurate Census count will impact every community, whether counted or not.  

"The League is focused on providing resources and education nationwide, working through Complete Count Committees to ensure that in 2020 the United States compiles the most complete count possible. We call on the administration to do the same."

Contact: Sarah Courtney | 202-263-1332 | [email protected]