Washington, DC – Yesterday, the US Supreme Court granted the Trump Administration’s request to suspend a lower court order that ordered the Census Bureau to continue the count through Oct. 31. The ruling also allows the Census Bureau to proceed with delivery of apportionment data by the original Dec. 31 deadline, even though Census Bureau officials themselves requested a 120-day extension earlier this year. Yesterday’s decision is just the latest in a string of legal updates and Census Bureau announcements that have kept community organizations and civil rights advocates searching for clarity on census operations.
“Rather than allow the Census Bureau optimal time to conduct a complete count, the Supreme Court has granted the Trump Administration a truncated timeline that risks missing Southeast Asian Americans and other historically undercounted communities,” said Katrina Dizon Mariategue, acting executive director of SEARAC. “Our efforts to fight for an accurate count continue, and yesterday’s ruling underscores the crucial role that Congress can play to prevent rushed processes and inaccurate data by pushing back reporting deadlines. We urge lawmakers to move quickly and pass legislation that will provide sufficient time for data processing and quality assurance of the census data, which will impact our communities for the next decade.”
Following the ruling, the Census Bureau announced they will be ending field data collection operations tomorrow, Oct 15. With less than 48 hours left, SEARAC encourages community members to make sure your loved ones and community members are counted in this once-a-decade event. Complete your census by 11:59pm HDT on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 2020census.gov.
ACTION ALERT:
Take a few minutes to call or email your senator NOW
1. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your Senate member. You can also click here to find the direct lines to your senator.
2. Find your senator’s email here.
3. Find sample language below:
Hi, my name is _______, and I am your constituent from (City, State). I am calling/writing to ask you to support the 2020 Census Deadline Extensions Act, introduced by Sens. Schatz, Murkowski, and Sullivan, so that the Census Bureau has the time it needs to accurately process census data for our state. A rushed census results in an inaccurate representation of the country for the next 10 years. We must provide adequate time for the Census Bureau to conduct the proper data processing and quality assurance necessary for an accurate count of our communities in (State). Thank you.
