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The 2020 Census is not a formality. The constitutionally mandated count of every person in the United States allocates billions of dollars for education, housing and social services and determines Congressional and electoral college representation.
The Trump Administration has attempted to twist the census to its own partisan benefit by proposing to add a citizenship question, which would drive down response rates among immigrants and communities of color. Such undercounts risk funding and equal representation for these communities and for Connecticut.
The administration hit a major roadblock last week when the Supreme Court rejected the citizenship question because its justification “appears to have been contrived.” And this week, the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce both said the 2020 census questionnaire would be printed without a citizenship question.
Despite these victories, some damage has already been done. Immigrant communities already fear this administration and the press reports associating citizenship with the census cannot be unheard. Then, President Trump surprised his own Cabinet this week by saying he will consider all options to include the citizenship question, including an executive order.
We have to monitor this administration's as it seeks to sabotage the census with a population undercount. More importantly, we must ensure every single person in our community is counted.
Here's what you can do:
- Talk to your neighbors, family members, friends and community leaders about the 2020 Census and ensure their response
Jim |
