Voto Latino Appalled at Trump’s Latest Attempt to Subvert the Census

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Donald Trump issued a memorandum to the Commerce Department, ordering the agency to exclude undocumented people living in the United States from the Census for the purposes of House redistricting in 2021. This transparent attempt to not only tip the scales in favor of Republican candidates but also the further intimidation of the undocumented community is wildly unconstitutional. This action by the president flies in the face of Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, which requires an “actual enumeration” to be taken. 

“Donald Trump, Wilbur Ross, and Stephen Miller know this will not pass even the slightest legal examination, but they are desperate to rile up their base as Trump’s poll numbers continue to collapse,” said María Teresa Kumar, president and CEO of Voto Latino. “The President of the United States is actively attempting to take food away from children, housing from mothers, and political and legal representation from millions of people living in this country. As with most everything else Donald Trump does, the cruelty is the point.”

Excluding undocumented people from House redistricting will leave some of the country’s most populated metropolitan areas severely underfunded and underrepresented. In attacking undocumented Americans this way, the president will cause massive suffering as schools, hospitals, and other public services face decreased funding while continuing to serve the same number of people. Donald Trump’s enablers in Congress would do well to realize that this trajectory will hurt their constituents as much as those they deem to be unworthy of Congressional representation. 

Voto Latino will continue to monitor this action by the president, and encourage and empower every single person living in the United States to participate in the Census. 

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.