| Dear Kathleen, If we don't act now, Donald Trump will use the census to rig elections for Republicans until 2030. The Trump regime is trying to include a discriminatory citizenship question in the 2020 census that could result in a significant undercounting of immigrant communities and supercharge right-wing gerrymandering and voter suppression.1 The Department of Commerce is collecting public comments on Trump's proposed citizenship question until August 7. This is our chance to show Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross that the majority of the country opposes Trump's plan to use the census as a weapon to discriminate. Will you add your voice now? Tell Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross: Don't let Trump use the census to discriminate. Click here to sign the petition. Trump and his cronies have been trying to sabotage the census for months. The Government Accountability Office has already identified the census as a "high risk area" because of underfunding, canceled field tests and the late introduction of new systems and processes.2 The census also lacks competent leadership. Trump nominated Thomas Brunell, who has supported Republican gerrymandering, opposes early voting and has no relevant experience, for the top operational role at the U.S. Census Bureau. Under pressure, he withdrew the nomination, and there is still not a permanent leader for the work.3 The citizenship question is the latest assault. It is likely to suppress participation, resulting in the undercounting of immigrant communities and communities of color. This undercount will mean less federal funding for services in those communities. Just as importantly, states with large immigrant populations are also then at risk of losing seats in state legislatures, Congress and the Electoral College.4 More than 60 members of Congress, civil rights groups and over 160 mayors urged Ross not to include the citizenship question.5 Now that he has taken this dangerous step, the New York and California attorneys general are saying the question is unconstitutional and suing to block it.6 Sens. Hirono, Booker and Menendez have also introduced the Every Person Counts Act. This bill would prohibit the U.S. Census Bureau from asking a question on citizenship or immigration status.7 Now, we need to keep the pressure on. Wilbur Ross still has time to reverse course, do the right thing and block this extremist attack on our democracy. Add your name now to demand that he stop Trump from using the census to attack immigrants and suppress the vote: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/defend_the_census?t=7&akid=29500%2E12738962%2EYKd6Kj&t=8&akid=29501%2E12967895%2Eai4Pst Thanks for defending our democracy, Nicole Regalado, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: - Vann R. Newkirk II, "The 2020 Census Is Already in Big Trouble," The Atlantic, July 31, 2018.
- Danny Vinik and Andrew Restuccia, "Leading Trump Census pick causes alarm," POLITICO, Nov. 21, 2017.
- The United States Conference of Mayors, "Letter to Sec. Wilbur Ross," Feb. 6, 2018.
- Emily Badger, "A Census Question That Could Change How Power Is Divided in America," The New York Times, July 31, 2018.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, "Jayapal, Chu, Grijalva, Richmond Call on Sec. Ross to Reject Citizenship Questions on 2020 Census," Jan. 17, 2018.
- Hansi Lo Wang, "Multi-State Lawsuit Against Census Citizenship Question To Move Ahead," NPR, July 26, 2018.
- Sen. Bob Menendez, "Menendez, Booker, Hirono Introduce Bill to Prevent Trump Administration from Politicizing Census with Citizenship Question," March 22, 2018.
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