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DOJ Does the Right Thing and Drops the Census Question

July 3, 2019, Washington, DC – The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today welcomed the end of the bitter dispute over adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Jody Rabhan, NCJW’s director of government relations and advocacy, released the following statement:

“The new admission by the Department of Justice that the citizenship question will not appear on the 2020 census questionnaire is a victory for democracy and civil rights. A federal judge’s insistence last night that the government formally agree to resolve the case by pulling the census question cements the victory. NCJW won’t be distracted by tweets and other comments to the contrary.

“The exposure of the partisanship and bias behind the move to put a citizenship question on the census forms proved the motivation, and was clearly too much for the Supreme Court to take. NCJW was proud to join with all those who worked tirelessly to defend a fair and accurate count and to expose the pretexts behind the move.

“Despite the good news, NCJW is concerned that communities will still avoid completing the census questionnaire given the controversy and fears of immigrants, people of color, and others. NCJW’s grassroots network will work to educate locally and within states across the country to ensure everyone is counted.”

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. More information on Facebook and on Twitter @NCJW.