Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government does not have the authority to add the citizenship question in the 2020 Census form. Latino Victory Project Interim President Melissa Mark-Viverito issued the following statement in response:
“By ruling to block the citizenship question, the Supreme Court has put a brake on the Trump administration’s plan to erase and dehumanize communities of color. The Census question was never meant to help Latino and immigrant communities; it was meant to dilute our voice, deny us equal representation and, erode our political power. President Trump wanted to silence our communities, but what he got instead is yet another court rejection of a policy deeply rooted in racism and bigotry.
“Census participation is critical to ensure that all communities receive federal funding for resources such as health care, infrastructure, emergency services and education. We commend the advocacy organizations, activists, elected officials and allies who are on the front lines of this battle and who will work to ensure that our communities participate in the Census so that our governments reflect our country’s rich diversity.”
