Pou Issues Statement Regarding Supreme Court’s Decision on Census Citizenship Question

Trenton – Chair of the Latino Caucus Senator Nellie Pou issued the following statement after the United States Supreme Court decided today to send the case regarding the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 census, back to the lower courts:

“I’m encouraged by Chief Justice Roberts’ decision to send this case back to lower court and delay the addition of the citizenship question on the 2020 census. I am encouraged, but this is not a victory.

“There is clear evidence that this question was explicitly designed to disenfranchise immigrant communities. This was a politically motivated act, with no honest justification and one with devastating racial implications for our communities. For now, the question cannot remain on the census but Chief Justice Roberts did not rule definitively that it could never be included. Therefore, the fight is not over.

“This is about democracy. Every person in this country deserves to be counted and represented, this is fundamental to our values as Americans. This is what was envisioned at the inception of this nation and it must be held true, today, in 2019, regardless of who sits in the oval office.”