ACLU Asks Federal Court to Block Trump’s Ongoing Bid to Add Census Citizenship Question

NEW YORK — The American Civil Liberties Union and partners today asked a federal court in New York to block the Trump administration from taking any action that would delay the printing of 2020 census forms or change the forms to include the citizenship question.

The administration has indicated it may ignore a Supreme Court ruling last week that blocked the census citizenship question. The American Civil Liberties Union, New York Civil Liberties Union, and Arnold & Porter successfully challenged the question on behalf of immigrants’ rights groups. Earlier this week, the administration said it would move forward with printing the census without the question; the next day, President Trump lashed out and threatened to reverse course.

The ACLU and partners filed a motion tonight with U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman asking him to block the administration’s latest attempt to add the question.

Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, argued the Supreme Court case and said of today’s filing:

“The Trump administration repeatedly argued the census forms could not be altered after June 30. They’ve now changed their tune because the Supreme Court ruled against them. They can’t have it both ways. Trump’s lawlessness will not go unanswered.”

Motion: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/motion-amend

Case details: https://www.aclu.org/cases/new-york-immigration-coalition-v-united-states-department-commerce