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2020 Census: Drop the Citizenship Question (Document Number: USBC-2018-0005-0001)

Action Alert: Urge Census Bureau to Drop Trump’s Citizenship Question
CAIR says citizenship question is a part of president’s ‘white supremacist agenda’

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/11/18) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging all those who value voting rights, health care and education to take part in its click-and-send action alert telling the U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees the Census Bureau, to not reintroduce a question about citizenship status on the 2020 Census because it is a part of the Trump administration’s “white supremacist agenda.”

CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said the Department of Commerce is requesting public feedback on its proposal to start questioning residents in the United States about their citizenship status in the 2020 Census. The last day to take part in CAIR’s action alert and submit comments to the Census Bureau is August 7, 2018.

ACT: SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS BY AUGUST 7

In a federal court hearing last week, U.S. District Court in Manhattan Judge Jesse M. Furman stated the Department of Commerce had appeared to act in “bad faith” in deciding to add the question. Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross Jr. has offered ever-changing explanations for why the question about citizenship would be added to the 2020 census.

Initially, Ross stated that the citizenship question was being added at the request of the Justice Department to prevent violations of the Voting Rights Act. However, in a federal lawsuit brought against the Department of Commerce seeking to block the citizenship question from the census it was revealed that Ross and his staff “thought reinstating a citizenship question could be warranted” and asked the DOJ if it “would request, inclusion of the citizenship question under the pretenses of enforcing the Voting Rights Act.”

The lawsuit seeking to block the citizenship question was filed by 17 state attorney generals and the District of Columbia, among other cities and counties.

CAIR’s click-and-send action alert will send the following statement as a formal public comment against the citizenship question on the 2020 Census to the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce:

“I stand with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, in requesting the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce to remove any question seeking information about U.S. citizenship status from the upcoming 2020 Census.

I am concerned that U.S. District Court in Manhattan Judge Jesse M. Furman recently stated - while presiding over a lawsuit to block the citizenship question - that the Department of Commerce, which oversees the Census Bureau, had appeared to act in “bad faith” in deciding to add the question.

I am also disappointed by Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross’s ever-changing explanations for why the citizenship question needs to be added to the 2020 Census. Ross’s multiple explanations convey an apparent attempt to mislead the public about the true origin and actual need for a citizenship question.

The Trump administration’s politicization of the 2020 Census could have a long term negative impact on voting rights and on the distribution of federal funding for health care, education and community development.

President Trump has falsely claimed that millions of illegal immigrants voted in the 2016 presidential election. The citizenship question was last included in the census questionnaire in 1950.

It is inevitable, given the current political environment, that immigrants and their extended community networks will perceive this move to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census as targeting them and their families for government action – including detention and deportation - thereby decreasing minority participation in the census.

By discouraging minority participation, the Trump administration clearly seeks to maintain its falling support outside of its largely monochrome base.”

On March 27, in response to the United States Department of Commerce announcing its intent to add a citizenship question to the census, CAIR rebuked the move as being a part of the Trump administration’s “white supremacist agenda.”

CAIR said it has witnessed an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.

The Washington-based civil rights organization has also repeatedly expressed concern about Islamophobic and white supremacist Trump administration policies and appointments.
Community members are being urged to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

-END –

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com

2020 Census: Drop the Citizenship Question (Document Number: USBC-2018-0005-0001)

Action Alert: Urge Census Bureau to Drop Trump’s Citizenship Question
CAIR says citizenship question is a part of president’s ‘white supremacist agenda’

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/11/18) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging all those who value voting rights, health care and education to take part in its click-and-send action alert telling the U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees the Census Bureau, to not reintroduce a question about citizenship status on the 2020 Census because it is a part of the Trump administration’s “white supremacist agenda.”

CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said the Department of Commerce is requesting public feedback on its proposal to start questioning residents in the United States about their citizenship status in the 2020 Census. The last day to take part in CAIR’s action alert and submit comments to the Census Bureau is August 7, 2018.

ACT: SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS BY AUGUST 7

In a federal court hearing last week, U.S. District Court in Manhattan Judge Jesse M. Furman stated the Department of Commerce had appeared to act in “bad faith” in deciding to add the question. Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross Jr. has offered ever-changing explanations for why the question about citizenship would be added to the 2020 census.

Initially, Ross stated that the citizenship question was being added at the request of the Justice Department to prevent violations of the Voting Rights Act. However, in a federal lawsuit brought against the Department of Commerce seeking to block the citizenship question from the census it was revealed that Ross and his staff “thought reinstating a citizenship question could be warranted” and asked the DOJ if it “would request, inclusion of the citizenship question under the pretenses of enforcing the Voting Rights Act.”

The lawsuit seeking to block the citizenship question was filed by 17 state attorney generals and the District of Columbia, among other cities and counties.

CAIR’s click-and-send action alert will send the following statement as a formal public comment against the citizenship question on the 2020 Census to the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce:

“I stand with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, in requesting the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce to remove any question seeking information about U.S. citizenship status from the upcoming 2020 Census.

I am concerned that U.S. District Court in Manhattan Judge Jesse M. Furman recently stated - while presiding over a lawsuit to block the citizenship question - that the Department of Commerce, which oversees the Census Bureau, had appeared to act in “bad faith” in deciding to add the question.

I am also disappointed by Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross’s ever-changing explanations for why the citizenship question needs to be added to the 2020 Census. Ross’s multiple explanations convey an apparent attempt to mislead the public about the true origin and actual need for a citizenship question.

The Trump administration’s politicization of the 2020 Census could have a long term negative impact on voting rights and on the distribution of federal funding for health care, education and community development.

President Trump has falsely claimed that millions of illegal immigrants voted in the 2016 presidential election. The citizenship question was last included in the census questionnaire in 1950.

It is inevitable, given the current political environment, that immigrants and their extended community networks will perceive this move to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census as targeting them and their families for government action – including detention and deportation - thereby decreasing minority participation in the census.

By discouraging minority participation, the Trump administration clearly seeks to maintain its falling support outside of its largely monochrome base.”

On March 27, in response to the United States Department of Commerce announcing its intent to add a citizenship question to the census, CAIR rebuked the move as being a part of the Trump administration’s “white supremacist agenda.”

CAIR said it has witnessed an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.

The Washington-based civil rights organization has also repeatedly expressed concern about Islamophobic and white supremacist Trump administration policies and appointments.
Community members are being urged to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

-END –

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com