3/6/2019

CENSUS/CITIZENSHIP/COURTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration’s effort to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census was struck down Wednesday [3-6-19] by a second federal judge. The citizenship question, already blocked by a federal judge in New York and scheduled to be addressed by the Supreme Court next month, received its second strike from District Judge Richard Seeborg. He becomes the fifth federal judge from the same Northern District of California to rule against the administration on an immigration issue, all of whom were nominated by Presidents Barack Obama or Bill Clinton…Critics of the administration’s effort, including California, the American Civil Liberties Union and immigrant-rights groups, have argued that the Commerce Department is trying to intimidate both undocumented and legal immigrants. If their headcount is suppressed, it could reduce the allocation of federal resources and congressional seats to immigrant communities. Seeborg said the trial record indicated Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called for the citizenship question after consulting with officials close to President Donald Trump, including his former counselor Steve Bannon and former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who headed a commission investigating alleged voter fraud.”

Richard Wolf, “Second federal judge thwarts Trump administration plan to ask about citizenship in 2020 Census,” USA Today, March 6, 2019 3:59 pm