Advocates gathered in front of the Supreme Court calling for a “Fair and Accurate #Census2020”

Editor’s note: Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs, issued the following statement Thursday in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on including the citizenship question in the 2020 Census:

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling underscores the validity not just of the New York federal court ruling, but also similar rulings by California and Maryland federal courts. The Supreme Court correctly rejected the corrupt, manipulative, and cynical process to add the citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

“Commerce Secretary Ross should follow the advice of the Census Bureau’s expert staff and drop his effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The clock is ticking. It is time to focus on operational preparations and securing IT systems prior to the Census commencing in approximately six months.

“The Supreme Court has ruled that Secretary Ross’ efforts to add the citizenship question were legally flawed. The Census Bureau should now move forward to ensure an accurate count with no more interference from the Secretary.

“We know that a citizenship question would bring harm to low-income and other vulnerable Americans. First, it would result in an even greater Census undercount than in past years, particularly among young children, especially children of color, and among those identifying as Hispanic/Latino, immigrant families, and those in low-income households.

“Second, it would affect the allocation of hundreds of billions of tax dollars, including funding for programs that serve the most vulnerable among us – children, the elderly, people with disabilities, people who need a hand.

“Third, it would deny fair representation to for millions of Americans – while magnifying the outsize clout of the rich and powerful. Political districts in the U.S. already are gerrymandered in many instances; a Census undercount will only heighten the disparities.

“What is particularly disheartening about the Trump Administration’s actions is the ample evidence that Administration officials know an undercount will be the result of including the citizenship question. The Census Bureau’s own research staff has determined that the question’s inclusion would make the count less accurate and more costly. And that seems to be the Trump Administration’s intent.”