California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s press conference regarding the census citizenship question.
“President Donald Trump’s decision to not add the citizenship question on the 2020 Census is a victory for everyone who has taken a stand against the Trump Administration's blatant attacks on our democracy. He has conceded that attempting to add the citizenship question after the Supreme Court’s ruling would at this juncture jeopardize the Census.
“Even with this victory, the hard work of achieving a complete count in 2020 remains. This Administration has created a very real fear of the federal government in many communities, but the stakes of the census are too high for any Californian to sit it out. Trump wants the atmosphere of fear to continue to prevent people from participating in the Census, but we will not let him win. We are stronger when we are all counted.
“It is clear that Trump’s goal is to intimidate and stifle the political representation of our most diverse communities. Today Trump suggested using citizenship data for redistricting and congressional reapportionment, an attack on fair representation that is central to our democracy. We must remain vigilant and hold him accountable to the rule of law.”
