Friend, this may be our last chance to ensure a fair, accurate 2020 Census.
Yesterday, a federal court heard arguments in Common Cause v. Trump, our lawsuit to block Trump’s plan to erase millions of people from the Census -- and dramatically skew the final results. [1]
And this week, thousands of Common Cause supporters are calling their senators to demand a reversal of the Administration’s dangerous plan to abruptly end Census counting -- and leave millions uncounted, particularly in Black, Brown, and immigrant communities.
Friend, shockingly, the Trump Administration is planning to end the 2020 Census weeks early -- this coming Monday -- nearly a full month before career Census officials recommend. [2]
And as you're probably aware, an undercount will mean fewer public resources -- like schools and firetrucks -- in communities that need them, as well as less political representation for people already on the margins.
That's what makes this latest move so egregious. Nobody believes that a rushed, underfunded Census will deliver an accurate count -- especially during a nationwide pandemic.
Just like COVID-19, these efforts to manipulate the Census will fall hardest on the most vulnerable communities. And, ending the count early poses a real risk of Census results being fundamentally illegitimate, throwing our representative democracy into chaos.
That’s why Common Cause has sued the Trump Administration over its Census manipulation [2] -- we are telling the President that the 2020 Census is off-limits to political meddling. And, we are vigorously lobbying Congress to give the Census Bureau the time and resources it needs to conduct an accurate and equitable count, with encouraging signs of bipartisan support.
As I write, we’re actively exploring every possible option to restore the integrity of the 2020 Census and get the accurate count that government agencies, businesses, and charities rely on.
Remember, this is part of a years-long effort by far-right political operatives to rig our system and silence millions of Americans. We’ve uncovered documents from the GOP’s top redistricting strategist that outline this exact strategy [3] -- and now, we’re fighting in federal court to stop it.
Friend, I know there are so many important causes and campaigns that require your attention. For so many reasons, this year has been absolutely unprecedented for our democracy.
I’m writing to you today because I’m genuinely concerned this fight to save the 2020 Census will get lost in the 24-hour news cycle -- and that if we don’t act, the consequences will be with us for a generation.
Not only will the new legislative districts drawn after the Census be in place until 2030 -- but letting the Census become a partisan, political tool will be a defining moment for fair representation in this country. I cannot overstate how important it is that we do not allow this to happen.
That’s why we must go all out -- right here and right now -- to protect the 2020 Census from political manipulation. That means: protect the original Census plan to keep counting until October 31, provide the full funding for the 2020 Census, and make sure the Census is not whitewashed by partisan dirty tricks.
We’re ready to use every tool at our disposal -- litigation, lobbying, and grassroots organizing -- to do it. But we’re counting on your urgent support to take on this additional work. Can you please chip in $3 or more today for a fair, equitable, and accurate 2020 Census?
I believe that when historians look back on this tumultuous year, they will correctly describe it as a moment where the very future of our democracy was at stake.
But I also believe that it’s one where the American people will come together -- across their differences -- to fight for the values that we all hold dear.
In common cause,
Keshia Morris Desir, Census Project Manager
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.commoncause.org/resource/common-cause-v-trump/
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/census-bureau-announces-new-target-date-of-oct-5-to-finish-2020-census-count/2020/09/28/535bff98-01f7-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html
[3] https://www.commoncause.org/press-release/common-cause-files-challenge-to-trumps-directive-to-omit-undocumented-immigrants-in-census-apportionment-calculations/
[4] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/census-citizenship-question-hofeller.html
