New York, N.Y. (July 21, 2020) — Citizens Union, a leading good government group committed to fostering accountability, accessibility, and transparency in our government issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to the memorandum signed by President Donald Trump excluding undocumented immigrants from being counted in the 2020 Census:
“Much like the unconstitutional citizenship question that was struck down by the Supreme Court a year ago, the motivation behind President Trump’s memorandum banning immigrants from being counted in the Census is clear. The President wants to starve areas with large immigrant populations, like New York, of political capital. Thankfully, the constitution is also clear – every person, regardless of the immigration status, must be counted in the Census. Like the citizenship question, this illegal memorandum won’t stand up in court.”
About Citizens Union
For 120 years, Citizens Union (CU) has been a force for transparency, accountability and ethics in New York’s City and State governments. A nonpartisan organization, some of our current initiatives include increased voter participation and civic engagement, greater police accountability, and an accurate 2020 census. Learn more at www.citizensunion.org.