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AP19:023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2019
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on California Judge Blocking Census Citizenship Question

SACRAMENTO – A California Federal Court Judge has ruled the Trump Administration’s efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census are unconstitutional. This marks the second federal judge to rule against the inclusion of the citizenship question.

“The Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine the census are a direct attack on our constitution and democracy,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “As Judge Seeborg wrote in his ruling, ‘the inclusion of the citizenship question on the 2020 Census threatens the very foundation of our democratic system’—I could not agree more. Today’s ruling is clear—a census citizenship question is not just unconstitutional, it would have drastic repercussions for our country, and California communities, for years to come. An undercount in the census would jeopardize fair representation, one of the very tenants our country was founded upon.”

“I was proud to stand with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra last year to register California’s direct opposition to the citizenship question. This ruling is a major victory against the Trump Administration’s attempts to prevent an accurate census count.”

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