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This past March, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. NALCAB recently wrote to the department in opposition of this decision because of the detrimental impact it will have on Latinos and communities of color – we urge our members to do the same.

Tell the Department of Treasury NO to the citizenship question by submitting your comment below.
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Census data are critical to enforcing civil rights policies in this country. They are used to help determine the number of representatives a state has in Congress and guide redistricting to ensure fair political representation throughout the states. Additionally, census data are used by policymakers when deciding the allocation of federal, state and local funding – the where to and how much of vital program funds.

Requiring that the public answer an untested, controversial question will result in a significant undercount, especially among populations that are already apprehensive to answering government surveys. This means suppressing the response rates in immigrant communities and disproportionately impacting the allocation of resources for government services in communities of color, the economically disadvantaged, and other vulnerable populations. Inaccurate census data hinders the ability of Latinos to build assets and achieve economic mobility.

Working together, we may be able to overturn the decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The deadline to have our voices heard is August 7th; the time to act is now. Tell the department NO to the addition of this question and the harmful consequences it will have for the Latino Community by submitting your public comment.