Supreme Court Must Uphold Lower Court Ruling to Ensure a Fair and Accurate 2020 Census

February 15, 2019

For Immediate Release
Contact: LaGloria Wheatfall, [email protected], 202.548.7160

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference Education Fund, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to take up directly the dispute over Commerce Secretary Ross’ decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census:

“The Supreme Court should uphold Judge Furman’s careful, well-reasoned, and fact-bound decision. The politically driven citizenship question compromises the Census Bureau’s constitutional responsibility to conduct a fair and accurate count of every person living in the United States. Communities lose critical funding for health care, education, and more when the census is unfair or inaccurate.

“At the same time, Congress can and must act now to remove the citizenship question. The census timeline is relentless, and every day the cloud of uncertainty hangs over 2020 Census operations, an accurate and inclusive count is threatened.”

The Leadership Conference Education Fund builds public will for federal policies that promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. The Education Fund’s campaigns empower and mobilize advocates around the country to push for progressive change in the United States. It was founded in 1969 as the education and research arm of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. For more information on The Education Fund, visit http://leadershipconferenceedfund.org/.