A federal judge in California on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question on the 2020 census and ruled it was unconstitutional and unlawful.
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the administration of President Donald Trump from adding a citizenship question on the 2020 U. S. census, ruling that it is unconstitutional and unlawful. It marks the second federal judge this year to rule against the administration on the issue.
California argued that Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross’ plan to add the question would discourage immigrants and Latinos from participating in the census. They also contended it would cause an undercount and jeopardize congressional seats and billions of dollars in federal funding.
The ruling by U. S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco found that the citizenship question violates the Constitution’s Enumeration Clause, which requires « actual enumeration » of all people in each state every 10 years. It also was found to be in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act’s prohibition against agency action that is « arbitrary and capricious. »
At least six lawsuits have been filed over the Trump administration’s plans, including several in New York. A federal judge in Manhattan in January also blocked the Commerce Department’s plans to add the citizenship question.
The U. S. Supreme Court also has weighed in on the controversy, announcing last month it will hear arguments on the administration’s plans. The action came after U.
