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America

Supreme Court Rules Against Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 against the addition of the citizenship question on the 2020 Census, upholding a lower court's decision. Chief Justice John G Roberts asked the Commerce Department for further explanation of the justification for the question, saying the Trump Administration’s reasons for it were “contrived.” The ruling will effectively block the question from being added for now, and given the short time frame before census forms must be printed, the Commerce Department must no longer waste time justifying this dangerous question.

“This is a victory, but it should never have come this far," said Lakshmi Sridaran, Interim Co-Executive Director of SAALT.

"The looming threat of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census has already posed a chilling effect among immigrant and communities of color who are increasingly being deported, denaturalized, and disenfranchised by this administration. Thankfully, in this instance, the Trump Administration’s tactics have been exposed and rejected. The Commerce Department must respect the Supreme Court’s decision and allow the Census Bureau to spend their limited time and resources preparing for a 2020 Census without the citizenship question. We will work to ensure our communities’ power is recognized by ensuring that every person regardless of their status is counted and no one is left behind in the 2020 Census,” said  Sridaran.

SAALT’s latest South Asian demographic snapshot found that the South Asian population in the U.S. grew a staggering 40% in seven years, from 3.5 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2017. 

The purpose of the Census is simple: to literally count each person living in the U.S. That count determines more than $800 billion in federal funding to states for education, infrastructure, hospitals, parks, public benefits, and so much more. A full count ensures that our rapidly growing and changing communities are represented and receive our fair share of public programs like Medicaid, school lunches, and programs for seniors.