Supreme Court Punts on Ruling on Trump Census Challenge

The Supreme Court on Friday issued an opinion delaying judgment on the case challenging President Trump’s July Census memo seeking to block undocumented immigrants from being included in state apportionment data.

Stating that a resolution is “premature” the Supreme Court has now left the door open for the administration to try and block some undocumented immigrants from the count.

President Trump stated in a July memo that the Census Bureau would report two sets of data, one excluding undocumented immigrants from the count, and one including everyone. The administration would then use the count excluding undocumented immigrants to report to the states.

Analysis of Census data predictions show California, Texas, and Florida all losing a congressional seat with large impacts in other states as well.

23 states challenged the July memo and three federal courts blocked the administration from excluding undocumented immigrants from the count saying that doing so would be unconstitutional. Historically, the Census has counted everyone, regardless of immigration status.

Dale Ho, ACLU’s director of voting rights said on twitter that if the administration implements the plan, they will sue.

With the Census Bureau already indicating that data will be delayed, the ongoing litigation will continue to plague an already beleaguered Census.