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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 1 december 2020

Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump’s census plan

By MARK SHERMAN tices suggested that the
Associated Press better course for the court
WASHINGTON (AP) — The would be to avoid ruling
Supreme Court sounded immediately on lawsuits
skeptical Monday that Pres- filed by New York and oth-
ident Donald Trump could er Democratic-led states as
categorically exclude peo- well as immigration advo-
ple living in the country il- cates because Trump’s in-
legally from the population tentions are speculative at
count used to allot seats this point.
among the states in the “Mr. Ho, if the addition-
House of Representatives. al information would be
But it also appeared pos- beneficial in a few weeks,
sible that the justices could wouldn’t it be beneficial
avoid a final ruling on the to actually resolving this
issue until they know how case? As the questioning
broadly the Trump adminis- seems to suggest, there’s
tration acts in its final days some difficulty in assessing
in office and whether the exactly what information
division of House seats is af- will be available and what
fected. that information will be,”
No president has tried to Justice Clarence Thomas
do what Trump outlined in said to Dale Ho, the Ameri-
a memo in July — remove In this Nov. 2, 2020, file photo an American flag waves in front of the Supreme Court building on can Civil Liberties Union
millions of noncitizens from Capitol Hill in Washington. lawyer representing immi-
the once-a-decade head Associated Press gration groups.
count of the U.S. popula- made under Trump. point, and we don’t know mit census numbers to Con- The court could simply sit on
tion that determines how One possibility outlined by what the president will de- gress. The Census Bureau is the case in front of it to see
many seats each state gets acting Solicitor General cide to do with respect to supposed to send the data what happens, or dismiss it
in the House of Representa- Jeffrey Wall, Trump’s top Su- that,” Wall said. to Trump by Dec. 31. as premature. The second
tives, as well as the alloca- preme Court lawyer, is that Justice Amy Coney Barrett But Wall told the court option would allow Trump
tion of some federal fund- Trump might try to leave was among several mem- Monday, “We are not cur- to move forward with his
ing. out of the count people bers of the court who said rently on pace to send plan and lead inevitably to
The court, meeting by tele- who are in immigration de- the administration’s argu- the report to the president a new lawsuit.
phone because of the tention or those who have ment for broad discretion in by the year-end statutory Trump has a mixed record
coronavirus pandemic, been ordered to leave the deciding whom to exclude deadline.” He said census at the high court on immi-
heard arguments in its sec- country. is troublesome because officials told him they hope gration.
ond case in two years relat- But under questioning from “a lot of the historical evi- some data is available in The justices upheld his ban
ed to the 2020 census and Justice Elena Kagan, Wall dence and long-standing January. on travel to the U.S. by resi-
immigrants. would not rule out larger practice really cuts against A delay of even three dents of some largely Mus-
The census already is facing categories of immigrants, your position.” weeks would mean the lim countries. But the court
novel questions over dead- including those who have The court decided to hear Census Bureau would be shot down his attempt to
lines, data quality and poli- protection from deporta- the case on a fast track, turning in the numbers to a end the DACA program
tics, including whether the tion under the Deferred Ac- based on the administra- new president. President- and blocked his bid to add
incoming Biden adminis- tion for Childhood Arrivals tion’s plea for a decision by elect Joe Biden takes office a citizenship question to
tration would do anything programs. early January, when Trump on Jan. 20. the census for the first time
to try to reverse decisions “We can’t be certain at this is required by law to trans- Several conservative jus- in 70 years.q

Jared Kushner to travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar this week

By MATTHEW LEE support of Islamists, its relation-
Associated Press ship with Iran and other matters.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President The four countries also launched
Donald Trump’s son-in-law and an economic boycott, stopping
adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Qatar Airways flights from using
Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week their airspace, closing off the small
as part of negotiations to end a country’s sole land border with
longtime boycott of Qatar. Saudi Arabia and blocking its ships
Kushner, along with Mideast envoy from using their ports.
Avi Berkowitz and former special Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World
representative for Iran, Brian Hook, Cup. The country is also home to
will try to negotiate with Gulf lead- the sprawling Al-Udeid Air Base,
ers over the dispute, a White House which hosts some 10,000 American
official said. The official spoke on troops and the forward headquar-
condition of anonymity as the of- ters of the U.S. military’s Central
ficial was not authorized to publicly Command.
discuss the trip. This may be Kushner’s last trip to
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the region as President Donald President Donald Trump’s White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and
Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Trump, walk on the South Lawn of the
the United Arab Emirates cut ties Trump has only a few more weeks White House in Washington, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, after stepping off Marine
to Qatar in June 2017 as part of a in office. President-elect Joe Biden One upon returning from Camp David.
wider political dispute over Doha’s will be inaugurated Jan. 20.q Associated Press