CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE URGES THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO REVERSE ITS DECISION TO ASK ABOUT CITIZENSHIP ON THE 2020 NATIONAL CENSUS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robin K. Chand
March 27, 2018 202-225-3816
Press Statement
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Urges the United States Department of Commerce to Reverse its Decision to ask about Citizenship on the 2020 National Census
Jackson Lee: The decision to ask about citizenship is reminiscent of an uglier time in our country's history where the questions about fair and equal representation were informed by immutable characteristics, such as race. I encourage the Department of Commerce to reverse its decision to pursue this line of questioning on the census and if not, hope the lawsuit challenging the decision is successful in a court of law.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, senior Member of the House Committees on Budget, Judiciary and Homeland Security, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, released the following statement regarding the Department of Commerce's decision to ask about citizenship on the 2020 National Census:
"Our system of government is a representative democracy. Our elected officials must be responsive to the general populace in order to help represent their interests honestly. The Department of Commerce's announcement that it would inquire as to respondents' citizenship status on the 2020 National Census jeopardizes this ideal. It is troubling, misguided and recalls a terrible chapter of our history.
"Our decennial census is a critical exercise, as it dictates the representative power of each state and helps inform the internal redistribution of our national assets. The decision to ask about citizenship invites concern, and has the potential to disproportionately impact vulnerable and underserved communities, as well as communities of color. For example, given the current political climate, it has the potential to intimidate potential respondents, irrespective of their citizenship status. It is no coincidence that this decision is opposed by groups such as the NAACP and other civil rights organizations.
"It also appears that the decision is not driven by concerns to get an accurate count, but instead by politics. The consequences of this decision are not relegated to "blue states" or "red states." Statistics show that 60 percent of the country's undocumented immigrants live in urban areas, a majority of which was won by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. An undercount of metropolitan urban areas could adversely affect the funds received by cities such as Houston, Austin and Dallas.
"Lastly, the decision to ask about citizenship is reminiscent of an uglier time in our country's history where the questions about fair and equal representation were informed by immutable characteristics, such as race. I encourage the Department of Commerce to reverse its decision to pursue this line of questioning on the census and if not, hope the lawsuit challenging the decision is successful in a court of law.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas's 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is a Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.