California is challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to insert a citizenship question into the 2020 Census (which is already facing multiple problems). The Justice Department is arguing that it needs the question to enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (which prohibits discrimination in voting), but experts predict the question would contribute to fear of deportation, leading to an undercount of people living across the country (the Census “requires ‘counting the whole number of persons in each State,’ not just citizens.”), and cost communities representation in our state legislature and California some House seats.
Many of our partners — including the Advancement Project, California Calls, and PICO California — are part of the Census Policy Advocacy Network collaborative that is “[helping] shape policy concerning the American Community Survey and the 2020 Census” to ensure fair and accurate counting that benefits our communities.