Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order to ban immigrants from being counted in the 2020 Census by limiting non-Citizens from being included in population numbers for redistricting. This order comes a year after the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration’s attempts to add a citizenship question to the Census was unconstitutional.
Adrian Reyna, Director of Strategy of United We Dream Action, said:
“This executive order is the latest of four years of anti-immigrants attacks from Trump and his white supremacist administration. Trump’s acting out because he knows his days in office are numbered, and has added yet another reason why he and the Republican party will be remembered in the history books as the white nationalist movement that we defeat.
We will not be deterred in being counted or making our voices heard.
This executive order is an unconstitutional political ploy. Donald Trump knows that the only way he and his party can move their anti-immigrant, white supremacist agenda is by creating the conditions that suppress votes and representation among Black and brown people.
Instead of focusing his administration’s efforts on the over 140,000 people who have died of COVID-19, and the millions who are out of work, Trump is doing what he always does: attack immigrants. Trump continues trying to intimidate and erase undocumented and immigrant communities.
Everyone, regardless of immigration status, must take the Census if they haven’t already. An accurate count from this year’s Census will provide all of our communities with the resources they need to build towards a better future together. An undercount in the 2020 Census count will have devastating effects on all of our communities. Aside from congressional representation, Census data is used to provide critical resources for communities across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of getting a complete and accurate Census count this year because that data informs emergency responses, the building of hospitals, infrastructure, and grocery stores, which are essential during times like this. Releasing this order at the height of the pandemic in the U.S. is a slap in the face of every person who has been underserved during this time.”