California Senate Responds to Citizenship Question on the 2020 Census

SACRAMENTO—Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), chair of the Senate Select Committee on the Census, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 United States Census:

“The Trump administration’s decision to ask residents about citizenship in the 2020 Census will make that census less accurate, result in federal funding cuts to services for Californians and inequitable electoral representation for a decade.”

“Using the Voting Rights Act as a pretense to intimidate immigrants is shamelessly cynical -- an undercount will worsen underrepresentation of the very communities that law was meant to protect. Playing politics with the Census to undermine California is an attack on American ideals.”

“We fully support our Attorney General’s efforts to seek justice in federal court and protect Californians.”

Website of Senator Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins

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