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AP19:005

For Immediate Release
January 15, 2019
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Secretary Padilla Statement on Federal Court Striking Down Census Citizenship Question 

SACRAMENTO - California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement after a federal judge in New York struck down the Trump Administration's attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

"Today's ruling is a victory for democracy and a major blow to the Trump Administration's attempts to undermine the 2020 Census. The Trump administration's plan to question the citizenship of every person in America is a thinly veiled attempt to discourage diverse communities from participating in the census."

"The research is clear—a citizenship question would lead to an undercount in the census. For nearly 70 years, both Republican and Democratic administrations have excluded a citizenship question because the accuracy of the census is so critical."

"An undercount in the 2020 Census could cost California billions of dollars of federal funding, jeopardize our representation in congress and our fundamental voting rights. We will continue to fight to ensure a complete count in 2020."

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