We know how others in the Trump administration and Trump Campaign would answer this question. In their letter to @CommerceGov, Trump Justice Department officials claimed that this citizenship question is necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act. 2/
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As someone who had the specific responsibility of enforcing the Voting Rights Act, I find this argument incredible for two reasons. 3/
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One, this administration has been downright hostile to Voting Rights Act protections specifically, and civil rights overall. So it’s laughable to think they suddenly found religion on protecting voting rights now. 4/
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But more importantly, their argument is factually incorrect, morally bankrupt, and legally wrong. The Justice Department does not need this question to enforce civil rights protections or the Voting Rights Act. 5/
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Since enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the census has not included a question on citizenship on the form sent to all households – which means that this data has never been necessary to enforce our civil and voting rights laws. 6/
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Estimates of the citizen voting-age population derived from the ongoing American Community Survey, and the census “long” form before that, have been more than sufficient for civil rights and Voting Rights Act enforcement. 7/
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Beyond legal objections, this unnecessary question will cause panic and alarm. It's unnecessarily intrusive and will raise concerns in all households not only about the confidentiality of information provided to the government – but also how government authorities may use it. 8/
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To be clear, asking every household and every person in the country about their citizenship status in the current political environment will contribute to the climate of fear – particularly when there's no legal basis to do so. 9/
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This could cause hundreds of thousands of people in our communities to avoid the
#2020Census out of a real concern of being targeted by this president. 10/Show this thread -
In fact, new
@uscensusbureau research already is ringing alarm bells about the growing reluctance of immigrant households to participate in any Census Bureau surveys – all due to the “climate of fear” created by the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. 11/Show this thread -
The civil rights community doesn’t want that. Our nation doesn’t want that. And we don’t believe that
@SecretaryRoss wants that. But again, he’s facing a simple question: will he or won’t he protect the integrity and credibility of our census? 12/Show this thread -
We hope that the Trump administration won’t take this step. But the civil and human rights community will respond should they do. 13/13
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