January 15, 2019

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Castro Statement on Court Ruling on 2020 Census

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, today released the following statement on the court ruling today that says U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated federal law in attempting to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census:

“The Trump Administration is attempting to add a new citizenship question to the 2020 census to politically intimidate the immigrant community, and today’s court ruling against adding this question is a step towards justice and the rule of law for all Americans. A citizenship question would jeopardize federal funding and congressional seats for states like Texas, and would result in an undercount of immigrant and minority communities—an outcome that is at odds with the constitutional purpose of the census. While today’s ruling is a victory, we cannot rely solely on the courts to swat down this xenophobic and politically nefarious question. Congress must come together, across party lines, to ensure we protect the census from politicization and ensure every person is counted justly and accurately.”

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories