(LOS ANGELES, CA – 6/27/2019) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today joined its national office and civil rights allies across the nation in welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to block a question about citizenship status from being included in the 2020 Census.
“The Supreme Court’s decision rejected a desperate attempt by Trump administration to thwart the growing influence and presence of the American Muslim, Latinx and other immigrant communities,” said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. “The sole purpose of adding a citizenship question was an attempt to use intimidation to prevent marginalized communities from gaining the resources and representation they rightfully deserve.”
While the Supreme Court was unwilling to allow the citizenship question at this time, the decision indicated that the Trump administration could offer a more convincing justification for including the citizenship question on the census at a later date.
“The Supreme Court’s observation that the Trump administration’s rationale for its citizenship question ‘seems to have been contrived’ is the understatement of the year,” said CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri. “The citizenship question is a racist attempt to deny minority communities benefits and opportunities, and the Trump administration’s clumsy efforts to disguise it as lawful did not persuade even a court as friendly to the president as this one.”
SEE: Supreme Court blocks citizenship question on 2020 census for now
Last year, the United States Department of Commerce, which oversees the census, said the question would be added at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice to prevent violations of the Voting Rights Act. President Trump falsely claimed that millions of illegal immigrants voted in the 2016 presidential election. The citizenship question was last included in the census questionnaire in 1950.
Census data determines representation in Congress and how the federal government allocates more than $400 billion in public funds to state, local and tribal governments. Faith-based organizations and institutions can use census data to apply for grants.
Researchers estimate that the citizenship question would reduce responses by 8%.
SEE: U.S. Census Bureau Working Paper: “Predicting the Effect of Adding a Citizenship Question to the 2020 Census” (June 2019)
A federal court in Maryland recently heard evidence indicating that the Trump administration conspired with an anti-immigrant extremist to include the citizenship question for the purpose of discriminating against Latinos and other immigrant communities.
SEE: Federal judge says census citizenship question merits more consideration in light of new evidence
In January, a federal judge in New York struck down the proposal to include a citizenship question but the Trump administration appealed the ruling, taking it to the Supreme Court.
SEE: CAIR Applauds Judge’s Decision on 2020 Census Citizenship Question
https://www.cair.com/cair_applauds_judge_s_decision_on_2020_census_citizenship_question
Earlier this year, CAIR and its New York chapter (CAIR-NY) joined the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality and three American citizens of Japanese descent who were incarcerated during World War II in filing an amicus brief supporting challengers of the 2020 census citizenship question.
SEE: CAIR, CAIR-NY Join Japanese Americans Incarcerated in World War II and the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality in SCOTUS Brief Challenging Census Citizenship Question
When the citizenship question was first proposed, CAIR issued a statement decrying it as a part of President Trump’s ‘White Supremacist Agenda.’
SEE: CAIR Says Citizenship Question on Census Part of Trump’s ‘White Supremacist Agenda’
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-776-1847 or efields@cair.com