SPLC Action Fund: Trump’s Census Memo is Unlawful and Harmful

WASHINGTON — SPLC Action Fund President and Chief Executive Officer Margaret Huang issued the statement below after President Trump issued a memo ordering the U.S. Census Bureau to exclude undocumented immigrants living in the country from the official census count:

“Let’s make one thing clear: President Trump does not have the authority to order the census to exclude certain communities. The Constitution requires that we count every person in the country. His order is not only unlawful and unconstitutional, it’s also extremely harmful to millions of people living in the United States. President Trump is once again abusing his position of power to assault our immigrant communities.

“Not only is Census data important for determining political representation, it also helps to determine how resources are allocated across the country from the national to very local level. Census data helps communities plan how many doctors they need, where schools need to grow and where roads need to be built, among other vital resources. In the middle of a pandemic, President Trump is trying to make it harder for communities to respond to emergencies for the next decade.

“Trump’s latest move will cause widespread confusion and keep people from participating in the census. This is clear intimidation and suppression. Everyone must be counted. We support immigrant communities and will continue working to make sure everyone is able to be counted.”

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