Immig query is nixed for ’20 census

The Trump administration has backed off a controversial plan to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census, a victory for advocates who said the addition would have discouraged immigrants from participating in the once-in-a-decade count.

“We can confirm that the decision has been made to print the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire without a citizenship question, and that the printer has been instructed to begin the printing process,“a Justice Department attorney wrote to plaintiffs in related lawsuits.

The message ends a 15month saga that pitted Trump officials against immigration advocates who said such an intrusive question would keep migrants from participating in the all-important census that helps determine community resources and the makeup of congressional districts.

Plaintiffs who sued the government over the issue said the addition of the question — “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” — would discourage immigrants from participating, harm the count’s accuracy and dilute political representation and federal dollars for states that tend to vote Democratic.

The move to print the census without the question came after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Commerce Department had failed to justify its proposal.

“The evidence tells a story that does not match the explanation (Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross) gave for his decision,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. “The sole stated reason seems to have been contrived.”

Reaction was swift among civil rights and immigrant rights groups that had challenged the administration’s effort to add the question.

“In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Trump administration had no choice but to proceed with printing the 2020 census forms without a citizenship question,” said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.

“Everyone in America counts in the census, and today’s decision means we all will.”