Atlanta joins fight over census count, immigrants

Undocumented residents must be counted, city says.

Atlanta has joined the legal fight against an Alabama congressman’s effort to stop the U.S. Census Bureau’s practice of counting residents regardless of immigration status.

The city along with Arlington County, Va., filed a motion earlier this week to intervene in litigation filed by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks.

“Undocumented residents continue to make profound cultural and economic contributions to our communities, and to act is if they do not exist adversely impacts us all,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in a statement.

Having an accurate count of residents could mean more federal money for cities and increased representation. Atlanta stands to get an additional $100 million in federal funding. Earlier this year, the city identified, corrected or updated more than 80,000 addresses ahead of the 2020 census.

Brooks filed the lawsuit last year against the Commerce Department and the Census Bureau. In it, he argues that including undocumented citizens in the census gives some states an unfair advantage with more congressional seats.

Atlanta and Virginia filed their motion Aug. 12, arguing undocumented citizens are people who must be counted. A hearing on the Brooks’ lawsuit is scheduled for Sept. 6.

“It is unconscionable that in 2019 there is still a debate surrounding what defines a ‘person,’ which is why we will continue working to ensure that every resident is counted,” Bottoms said in her statement.