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(Washington, D.C.) – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, counsel for plaintiffs in National Urban League, et al. vs. Ross, issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s Order blocking the 2020 Census count.

Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said: “While the Supreme Court’s decision is disappointing, the silver lining is that millions of Americans have been counted who would have been excluded were the Bureau allowed to move forward with their earlier curtailment plans. As we have fought the Trump administration in the courts, we have helped to secure more time on the clock to achieve a fair and accurate count. That said, the Supreme Court’s order will result in irreversible damage to the 2020 Census.”

Clarke continued: “We know the Bureau has indicated that it takes several days to terminate the enumeration process. As we explore options, we will continue to push undercounted communities in states such as Louisiana and Mississippi to participate while the counting process remains open and active. This fight is about ensuring that our nation’s hard-to-count populations, including Black people, communities of color, immigrants and other vulnerable populations were captured in the count.”  

As Justice Sotomayor notes in her dissent: “The harms caused by rushing this year’s census count are irreparable. And respondents will suffer their lasting impact for at least the next 10 years.”

A copy of the Supreme Court’s order can be found here.

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