The Trump administration's plans for a census citizenship question are no longer.
The 2020 census questionnaire is officially on the printing presses, and there's no question of citizenship on its pages, an attorney for the Department of Justice told lawyers fighting the question on Tuesday. The official reveal comes after successive courts flip-flopped over whether the question was constitutional, and after the Supreme Court ruled against its inclusion last week.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the question's inclusion early last year, launching a bevvy of court challenges to it. But even though the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration's explanation for adding the question was insufficient, President Trump suggested he'd try to delay the census to leave room for further review. Now, an email from the DOJ confirms that won't happen.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Advocates claimed asking about citizenship would deter noncitizens from taking the census, depressing responses in traditionally Democratic areas and therefore reducing those regions' congressional representation. Evidence later surfaced showing a deceased GOP operative had found that including the question "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites," and that he had shown his research to Trump officials. Still, the Trump administration argued it would help them enforce the Voting Rights Act — reasoning the Supreme Court said "appeared to be contrived" in its Thursday ruling.
-
The party bringing Trump-style populism to JapanUnder The Radar Far-right party is ‘Rise of Sanseito is ‘shattering’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism
-
Southern barbecue: This year’s top threeFeature A weekend-only restaurant, a 90-year-old pitmaster, and more
-
Film reviews: Anemone and The Smashing MachineFeature A recluse receives an unwelcome guest and a pioneering UFC fighter battles addiction
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-offSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to ChicagoSpeed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denialSpeed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
