Judge Orders Trump Administration to Remove 2020 Census Citizenship Question

Commerce Dept. should acknowledge their mistake and reverse course to ensure that every person in the country is counted

NEW YORK – Today, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled to remove the controversial citizenship question from the 2020 Census. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman has ordered the administration discontinue plans to include the question. Given the timely nature of the case, any appeal may end up before the Supreme Court this term. The Court is currently scheduled to hear a procedural issue related to the case in February. 

“While the fight is not over, this decision is a sigh of relief for people in the country that could have been adversely affected by the lack of representation caused by being undercounted in the Census,” said Paul Smith, vice president of the Campaign Legal Center (CLC). “Commerce should acknowledge their mistake and reverse course to ensure that every person in the country is counted. The quality of the Census dictates the redrawing of district lines to ensure representation of all communities. That’s what’s at stake.”

CLC has actively opposed the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Read the letters CLC signed that were sent to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross expressing concern about the citizenship question and learn about ongoing litigation over this matter by visiting our action page.