Litigation
Advancing Justice | AAJC Files New Documents in Census Court Case and Calls for End to Government Games With 2020 Census
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Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Commerce refused to enter a joint stipulation with the plaintiffs of Lupe v. Ross et al. as requested by U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel. The government had until 2:00 p.m. today and instead is using its time to delay the inevitable.
Maryland Court Pushes Up Deadline for Government Response to 2020 Census Citizenship Question In Light of Contradictory Statements
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. District Court Judge Hazel told the government-defendants in no uncertain terms that by Friday, 2:00 p.m. EST, the parties must return to court for one of two results: either the government enters into a formal agreement on a permanent decision not to include a citizenship question on Census 2020, or the LUPE et. al. v. Ross et. al. plaintiffs move forward with scheduling discovery and further litigation of Plaintiffs' intentional discrimination and civil conspiracy claims.
Maryland Court Asks Commerce Department to “Go On the Record” To Confirm No Further Pursuit of Citizenship Question
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(WASHINGTON D.C.) – After the Department of Commerce stated that it will print the form without the citizenship question, U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel in Maryland asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to confirm that it has given up its fight entirely to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The Commerce Department has until Monday, July 8th, to respond.
Advancing Justice | AAJC Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Uphold Lower Court Ruling in Citizenship Question
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June 27, 2019—Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a much-anticipated decision in the argument to allow or remove the citizenship question from the 2020 Census. Chief Justice Robert’s 5-4 opinion upheld the lower court’s decision asking the Department of Commerce to explain the decision to add the citizenship question with their real rationale. For now, the district court’s decision to block the addition of the citizenship question remains in effect.
Federal Appeals Court Remands Census Case to Maryland Judge to Decide Intentional Discrimination Claim
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(GREENBELT, MD) – A federal judge in Maryland will determine whether newly discovered evidence indicates unconstitutional discriminatory intent was behind the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census after an appellate court granted a request to remand the case to the district court today.
Federal Judge States Discriminatory Motive Behind Census Citizenship Question
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June 24, 2019—GREENBELT, MD—Today, U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel issued an opinion on last week’s ruling stating that new evidence presented in Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC) and MALDEF’s (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) challenge to the 2020 census citizenship question “potentially connects the dots between a discriminatory purpose—diluting Hispanics’ political power—and Secretary Ross’s decision.”
U.S. District Court Grants Request to Census Citizenship Question Discrimination Ruling
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June 20, 2019 — GREENBELT, MD — In a new potential block to the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel granted a request from Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC) and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) to reconsider whether members of the Trump administration conspired with others to intentionally discriminate against Latinos, Asian Americans, and non-citizens when it added a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
U.S. District Court Grants Request to Census Citizenship Question Discrimination Ruling
This ruling from U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel follows revelations that a Republican redistricting strategist worked with administration officials to include a citizenship question in the decennial census to unlawfully advantage “Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites.”
Civil Rights Groups Seek Reconsideration of Census Citizenship Question Discrimination Ruling
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(GREENBELT, MD) – Newly discovered evidence contradicts the Trump administration’s claims that it added a citizenship question to the 2020 Census simply to enforce the federal Voting Rights Act, and confirms that the purpose was to deprive Latinos of constitutionally protected political representation.
Court documents filed Friday show that the current Chief of Staff to the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau was in direct contact with a Republican redistricting strategist in 2015, concerning issues related to the citizenship question.