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January 15, 2019

NEW YORK  A federal court today ruled that the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census cannot currently proceed.

Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York ruled that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated statutory limits on his authority. The court enjoined the Trump administration from implementing the citizenship question and remanded the matter to the Secretary Ross. The American Civil Liberties Union, New York Civil Liberties Union, and Arnold & Porter filed a federal lawsuit in June of 2018 on behalf of immigrants’ rights groups challenging the  citizenship question. 

The following comment is attributable to NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman:

“Today’s ruling provides an important check against the anti-immigrant overreach of the Trump administration. It has been obvious since day one that the Trump administration rushed to add a citizenship question to intimidate and undercount immigrant communities, ignored the recommendations of career scientists at the Census Bureau, and then tried to cover its true motives. New Yorkers know that we all deserve representation and that no one should be intimidated from being counted.”