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Saturday 6 July 2019

U.S. to pursue citizenship question on census but path unclear

By MARK SHERMAN and JILL moving forward" with ef-
COLVIN forts to include the ques-
Associated Press tion.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump's administration has
Justice Department said Fri- faced numerous road-
day it will press its search for blocks to adding the ques-
legal grounds to force the tion, like last week's Su-
inclusion of a citizenship preme Court ruling that
question on the 2020 Cen- blocked its inclusion, at
sus, hours after President least for now. Both the
Donald Trump said he is Justice and Commerce
"very seriously" considering departments indicated on
an executive order to get Tuesday that they were
the question on the form. moving forward with the
Trump said his administra- census, minus the citizen-
tion is exploring a number ship question.
of legal options, but the But Trump has insisted oth-
Justice Department did erwise, pushing his admin-
not say exactly what op- istration to come up with a
tions remain now that the way to include the contro-
Supreme Court has barred versial query. He suggested
the question at least tem- Friday officials might be
porarily. able to add an addendum
The government has al- President Donald Trump talks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing to the questionnaire with
ready begun the process for his Bedminster, N.J. golf club, Friday, July 5, 2019, in Washington. the question after it's al-
of printing the census ques- Associated Press ready printed.
tionnaire without that ques- In the Supreme Court's de-
tion. tives for the next 10 years zens? Are they not citizens? vince federal courts that cision last week, Chief Jus-
The administration's focus and the distribution of You need it for many rea- the question could be in- tice John Roberts joined
on asking broadly about some $675 billion in federal sons." cluded. the court's four more liberal
citizenship for the first time spending. It also reflects Districts now are based on "Executive orders do not members in saying the ad-
since 1950 reflects the Trump's interest in reshap- the total population. Some override decisions of the ministration's current jus-
enormous political stakes ing how congressional dis- Republicans want them Supreme Court," Thomas tification for the question
and potential costs in the tricts are drawn. based on the population Saenz, president and gen- "seems to have been con-
once-a-decade popula- "You need it for Congress, of eligible voters, a change eral counsel of the Mexican trived."
tion count that determines for districting," he said Fri- that could disadvantage American Legal Defense The administration had
the allocation of seats in day. "How many people Democrats by excluding and Educational Fund, said pushed the Supreme Court
the House of Representa- are there? Are they citi- immigrants. The Supreme in a statement Friday. The to decide the case quickly,
Court has left open the is- organization is representing citing a July 1 deadline to
sue of whether districts plaintiffs in the census law- begin printing the forms.
based only on the popula- suit in Maryland. The court made the rare
tion of eligible voters is con- Later Friday, Justice Depart- move of taking up the case
stitutional. ment lawyers formally told directly from a trial court in
The Census Bureau's own U.S. District Judge George New York before an ap-
experts have said a citizen- Hazel in Maryland the ad- peals court had weighed
ship question would dis- ministration is not giving up in. As recently as June 20,
courage immigrants from the legal fight to add the Solicitor General Noel Fran-
participating in the survey citizenship question to the cisco reminded the justices
and result in a less accu- next census. But they also of the need for a quick
rate census that would re- said it's unclear how they decision, writing that "for
distribute money and politi- will proceed, according to all practical purposes, the
cal power away from Dem- a court filing. Census Bureau needs to
ocratic-led cities where "They still say they don't finalize the 2020 question-
immigrants tend to cluster have clear instructions on naire by June of this year."
to whiter, rural areas where what to do," said Saenz, The Trump administration
Republicans do well. who took part in a confer- had said the question was
Trump, speaking as he de- ence call with the judge being added to aid in en-
parted the White House for and lawyers for both sides forcement of the Voting
a weekend in New Jersey, in one of three lawsuits Rights Act, which protects
said he might take execu- seeking to keep the ques- minority voters' access to
tive action. tion off the census. The oth- the ballot box.
"It's one of the ways that er two are in New York and But the question's oppo-
we're thinking about doing California. nents say recently discov-
it, very seriously," he said. Hazel had expressed ered evidence from the
An executive order would mounting frustration with computer files of a Republi-
not, by itself, override court the mixed signals the ad- can redistricting consultant
rulings blocking the inclu- ministration was sending, who died last year shows
sion of the citizenship ques- first telling him on Tuesday that, far from helping mi-
tion. But such an action that the question was off nority voters, discrimination
from Trump would perhaps only to have Trump tweet against Hispanics was be-
Located at Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort
J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 75, Palm Beach give administration lawyers the next day that the ad- hind the push for the citi-
For more information call 586-6066 ext.7002 a new basis to try to con- ministration was "absolutely zenship question.q