United States District Judge Jesse M. Furman blocked a plan to add a controversial citizenship question to the 2020 census today, according to a press release from The Brennan Center for Justice.
In March, the Commerce Department, which oversees the census, announced its decision to add the citizenship question. According to NPR, the question would read: “Is this person a citizen of the United States?”
The question’s announcement sparked controversy and started a legal battle between the Trump administration and the question’s opponents. Those who criticized the question argued that it would intimidate and disenfranchise minority groups.
“Hard data and common sense show that the citizenship question would intimidate vulnerable communities and massively suppress participation in the 2020 Census, with damaging effects that would undermine our democracy for a decade or more,” Thomas Wolf, counsel with the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program and leader of the census project said in a press release.
According to CNBC, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross argued that including the question was necessary to uphold provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Furman, striking down the decision to add the question, called Ross’ justification a sham.
“It follows that a court cannot sustain agency action founded on a pretextual or sham justification that conceals the true ‘basis’ for the decision,” U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman wrote in his decision.
Civil rights and advocacy groups hope this decision is the first of many victories in similar court challenges. The Brennan Center for Justice said in a press release that it believes that this decision will be a “roadmap” for other victories.
According to NPR, the administration is fighting five more lawsuits across the country in addition to the two cases that were brought before Furman at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A trial has already begun in California, and one will begin on January 22 in Maryland.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in February for a dispute over the evidence that can be included in the lawsuits.
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