You Are Protected

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of news coverage in the media regarding the 2020 census. A majority of the concern revolves around the purpose of census, how the data that is collected will be used, and how it will affect immigrant communities around the country.

Some estimates put the number of undocumented individuals living in the United States in the range of 10.5 to 12 million people. This includes DREAMERS, family members of those who crossed the U.S./Mexico border to seek asylum, and individuals who traveled hundreds of miles to seek a better life for themselves and their families.

Earlier in the presidency of Donald Trump, the idea of adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census was floated among his administration. The concern of many was that the answer given to this question was going to be used to target and subsequently deport individuals who were living the United States illegally.

It is important to be aware of the history of a citizenship question and how it relates to the U.S. Census. A similar question inquiring about a person’s citizenship status appeared on the census questionnaire from 1820-1950. However, the difference between this question and what was proposed is that the questions were limited in scope. So to that point, the Trump administration could claim precedent when considering adding this type of question to the census.

After a long battle, the question of what could be added to the census made its way to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Justices on the Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the case. They cited that while there was precedent in having a citizenship question, because of statements made by Donald Trump throughout his campaign, there was concern that the information could be used for a political purpose. In other words, their reasoning for the additional question was not justified and genuine.

The arguments made in the 5-4 ruling in the Supreme Court took into consideration prior statements made by then-candidate Trump. The ruling also supported what is written into laws governing the census. It is explicitly written into law that the release of personal identifiable information to law enforcement is prohibited.

You have nothing to worry about. It is important to participate in the 2020 census and get yourself counted.