SCOTUS Census Case Explained by the Experts
On Monday, November 30th the US Supreme Court is hearing a case on whether or not the Trump Administration can exclude undocumented immigrants from the final census count used for Congressional reapportionment. For reporters covering the hearing and case, the following experts are available to provide commentary and analysis:
Expert on the immigration of Latinos in the United States and Florida, as well as Puerto Rican migration.
“Never has the Census distinguished between citizens and non-citizens. The Census does not collect this information, making it impossible to determine a true count of the undocumented population. Nonetheless, the outcomes of the case could disproportionately affect states with large immigrant populations.”
Expert on racial and ethnic data collection for the 2020 Census.
"Active attempts to erase oppressed people in the U.S. Census are not new. In the U.S., the latest iterations include the gratuitous use of executive power to target undocumented immigrants for deletion from the full count of people living in the U.S. The Constitution requires a full and complete count of person residing in the United States, irrespective of citizenship or immigration status."
Expert on the political economy of policy knowledge in the United States.
"If Trump and the GOP are successful in court — refashioning the “people’s house” to disadvantage electoral majorities and buttress their own power — it will receive far less attention than the spectacle of the elections. Stealthy power grabs targeted at taken-for-granted democratic institutions typically do. And that, among other things, is what makes them so dangerous."
Expert on democracy, voting rights, and constitutional law around the world.
"Regardless of one’s opinion on the status of undocumented immigrants, the Trump administration’s proposal is simply poorly-thought. The government must address and administer to the entire population. To ignore residents because of their status undermines the effectiveness of government policies. This is a shortsighted proposal that places partisan rhetoric above political wisdom."
Expert on immigration policy with a specialization in federalism, enforcement, legislative and administrative processes, and the role of interest groups.
"Like many issues that appear to target immigrants, leaving unauthorized immigrants out of the Census count would affect all Americans. This is another of the administration's attempted attacks on immigrants that could have a much more widespread negative outcome."