Census Citizenship Question is Direct Attack on Communities of Color

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, the Commerce Department announced that a question of citizenship would be added in the 2020 U.S. Census. The Census takes place every 10 years and determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is also used to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities. In response, Sindy Benavides, Chief Operating Officer for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), issued the following statement:

“The Census Bureau is constitutionally mandated to provide ‘quality data about the nation’s people.’ It is intended to count the entire national population, not just U.S. citizens.

The Trump Administration’s decision to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census will lead to systematically undercounting specific groups. This is a political intimidation tactic that furthers Trump’s xenophobic and anti-immigrant policy agenda and will lead to certain states losing funding, resources and representation. It is a direct attack a on our democracy and plays upon the fears of communities of color. By adding a citizenship question, the Administration aims to reduce census participation and undermine the accuracy of the census count. We must not allow this anti-immigrant agenda to further threaten marginalized communities. LULAC will continue to organize in the community through our members and is committed to ensuring that we are counted.”

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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with over 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org