(Washington, D.C.) — The Trump administration’s attempt to cut short major census operations threatens to undermine the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census. While the Census Bureau planned to conduct in-person enumeration through October 31, Bureau officials across the country are now being told to wrap up counting by the end of September.
The decision to shorten the counting timeframe in the middle of the Census, against the advice of career officials and experts, and without a clear plan for moving forward, has the potential to severely undermine Census field operations, and result in incomplete data and undercounting, especially in communities of color. Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued the following statement:
“In no uncertain terms, we condemn any attempt by the Trump administration to make eleventh hour changes to policies that Census experts deem necessary for ensuring a complete and accurate Census count. By prematurely ending critical door-knocking efforts, we run the risk of missing millions in Black and immigrant communities. This decision may deprive these communities of fair representation, and fair allocation of funds for the next ten years.”
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
