Stand with Undocumented Immigrants by Taking the 2020 Census
Last week, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum that would exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in congressional districts when district lines are redrawn next year. This is an unconstitutional attack on our immigrant communities and on our political futures.
Each redistricting has a critical influence on who is most likely to win elections, which communities will be most adequately represented in Congress, and which laws can be passed. According to Vox, Trump’s attempt to exclude unauthorized immigrants would reduce the counts in areas where foreign-born populations have traditionally settled — primarily Democrat-run cities — and therefore undermine their political power relative to more rural, Republican-run areas, and could also impact red states with large immigrant populations, including Texas.
This executive order has resulted in a flurry of lawsuits that aim to bring the Trump administration to justice. We each have a role to play in ensuring that all our communities are represented and have the resources they need to live healthily and with dignity.
The Trump administration will stop at nothing to dehumanize our undocumented community members. This is just the latest scare tactic. Census data is confidential and no one should be afraid to complete the Census. That’s why it’s so critical to #GetCounted and complete the 2020 Census today. Each of our voices matters — and they must be counted.
Right now, New York is falling behind with the 38th lowest self-response rate in the country. The census determines how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal, state, and private sector money are spent on infrastructure, public transportation, schools, and more — including a lot of different health care programs.
Starting August 11th, Census Takers will visit homes that have not responded to the questionnaire to help you and everyone in your home be counted in the 2020 Census. All workers will have a U.S. Census Bureau badge and will wear masks and follow local public health guidelines when they visit your home. You won’t be visited by a Census taker if you respond to the Census on your own online or over the phone.
Immigrant futures depend on a fair, accurate census count. It’s so important that every person in every community, regardless of their documentation status, be counted in the 2020 census. If not, over the next 10 years we’ll miss out on jobs, money for our children’s classrooms, access to health care, and more. That money is our tax dollars, and it should come back to us!
