Supreme Court Must Reject Unnecessary, Untested Census Citizenship Question

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 following oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court on the dispute over Commerce Secretary Ross’ decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census:

“Today’s oral argument leaves no doubt that the Supreme Court must uphold the careful, well-reasoned, and fact-bound decisions of three federal judges to block the addition of an untested citizenship question on the 2020 Census. This is about our nation’s commitment to ensuring every community gets its fair share of resources and equitable representation in our democratic institutions. Opposition to the citizenship question has transcended partisanship and politics because this last-minute question will hurt everyone. We urge the Supreme Court to prevent this decennial disaster.”

“Congress also has a unique responsibility under the Constitution to ensure an accurate count of all persons in the country. Lawmakers must remove the cloud of uncertainty hanging over final census preparations and take action to prohibit this unnecessary and untested citizenship question on the 2020 Census.”

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/.