WASHINGTON, DC — The following is a statement issued today from Muslim Advocates Interim Legal Director Sirine Shebaya on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to block the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census for now:

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to halt the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, at least for now, is a welcome one and a meaningful victory for democracy and equal representation. It is now more clear than ever that adding a question about citizenship to the census was a cynical, partisan ploy by the Trump administration to illegally weaponize the 2020 census and diminish the representation of immigrants and communities of color in our political system.

As noted by Justice Breyer in his concurrence, adding a citizenship question would cause primarily Hispanics and noncitizens, including many American Muslims, to be undercounted in the imminent census. Consequently, this would severely impair their ability to be counted towards significant political decisions such as the distribution of government resources and how they are represented in elections.

We urge the Commerce Department and the Census Bureau to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling and honor democracy by ensuring that the 2020 census does not contain a question about citizenship”

Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination. 

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