New evidence throws census citizenship case into question
New evidence about a Republican strategist's role in adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census is putting increased pressure on the Supreme Court.
The justices are weighing whether the controversial question should be allowed on the census after opponents filed lawsuits arguing it would lead to an inaccurate population count. The Trump administration has countered that it’s needed to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
But documents first made public on Thursday appear to undermine the administration’s position. The court filings claim that late GOP redistricting strategist Thomas Hofeller played a substantial role in adding the citizenship question. The court documents also allege that Trump administration officials lied during testimony by not disclosing the strategist's efforts.
In a rare move, the evidence was officially brought to the Supreme Court's attention on Thursday by way of a court filing from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). That presents the justices with a decision on whether they should consider the documents indicating the administration was helped by a strategist who knew that asking about citizenship would give Republicans a boost in redistricting while hurting Democrats and Latino communities.
A delayed ruling could prevent the question from making it onto the 2020 census, as the Commerce Department has said it needs to start printing materials for the survey in June.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/446436-new-evidence-throws-census-citizenship-case-into-question?rnd=1559508858
