Civil Rights vs. Fake News

Count on Your Census

When Wilbur Ross, Department of Commerce Secretary, attempted to add a question about citizenship status to the 2020 Census, it made headlines and fueled fears. Given the administration’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies it was clear that the question would discourage participation in the constitutionally mandated census. AAPI and Latinx civil rights leaders stood up and pushed back in 2 federal court cases and the Supreme Court. In all cases, the courts ruled against the administration’s position. In a last ditch effort to save face, the President made a Rose Garden announcement about gathering citizenship status information from existing federal resources. It was a decisive victory for the immigrant community but is it enough to overcome the community’s fears? Denise Hulett, MALDEF, and John C. Yang, Advancing Justice | AAJC, break down the facts from the fake news.