Earlier today, the United States Supreme Court ruled against the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census form. The addition of a citizenship question to the census could lead to the significant underrepresentation of communities of color and immigrants, so today’s ruling is a victory for those populations.
Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau collects information that helps determine how the federal government allocates more than $900 billion annually to programs that fund schools, social services, and other essential programs. Although the Census Bureau already collects citizenship data through the American Community Survey, the Trump Administration sought to add a question about a person’s citizenship status, which would make it more likely that millions of undocumented people and people of color would be undercounted — including many young people of color. However, the Court ruled this morning to block the question from the census for now.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Clarissa Unger, Director of Civic Engagement for Young Invincibles, issued the following statement:
“While this fight is not over, today’s ruling is a blow to the Trump Administration’s politically-motivated effort to add a citizenship question to the census. The purpose of the census is to count every person in the country, but adding a citizenship question will make it more likely that millions of undocumented people and people of color — including many young people of color — will be undercounted. As a result, their communities won’t get their fair cut of the $900 billion in federal spending that the census impacts and the systemic inequities they already face will be further exacerbated.
Today’s young people are the most diverse generation in history, and it is critical that they be fully counted to ensure their voice is heard in every level of government and their communities have the resources they need to thrive.”