Inland Empire group responds to Supreme Court's ruling on Census citizenship question
An Inland Empire group which is promoting the value of the United States Census is applauding the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling which temporarily blocked a citizenship question from being placed on the Census 2020 questionnaire.
On June 27, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts casting the deciding vote, that the Trump Administration's plan to add the question would be halted for now, although its ultimate fate remained unclear.
Census IE, a coalition of non-profit and community based organizations in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, praised the decision as being important to the group's goal for everyone in the Inland Empire to be counted and equitably represented.
"San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are home to nearly one million immigrants, making up nearly a quarter of the region's population," said Charee Gillins, marketing and communications director of the Community Foundation, which coordinates Census IE. "An accurate count of our diverse and growing immigrant community could potentially lead to the addition of an assembly district representative in the Inland Empire and our fair share of federal tax dollars."
Fontana is home to thousands of the region's immigrants, some of whom are undocumented. Some opponents of the citizenship question say it would frighten many immigrants away from taking part in the Census.
Getting the Census right is important for all communities in America, particularly those most likely to be undercounted, Gillins said in a statement.
"As demographics continue to shift throughout the state of California, a failed Census count could have a drastic impact on the level of resources given to the region by the federal government," Gillins said.
President Trump expressed opposition to the Supreme Court's decision, saying on Twitter: "Seems totally ridiculous that our government, and indeed Country, cannot ask a basic question of Citizenship in a very expensive, detailed and important Census, in this case for 2020."
But Rep. Norma Torres (D-35th District), who represents part of Fontana, said the decision was appropriate.
"Today, the Supreme Court stood up for democracy and the generations of immigrants who have made America the country that it is," Torres said in a statement. "The people of California's 35th Congressional District, which is comprised of many immigrant communities and communities of color, depend on an accurate census for their fair share of federal resources. This funding makes it possible for hard-working, low-income families to access quality healthcare through the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid; affordable housing through Community Development Block Grants; support, education, and training for every child and parent to succeed through Head Start; and safe roads to drive on.
"On the Appropriations Committee, I proudly worked to prevent the Census Bureau from adding a citizenship question to the census. As a former mayor, I look forward to working with local elected officials to ensure every resident is counted."
Torres said the 35th District is one of the hardest to count in the nation, with about 231,300 people (or 31 percent of the district) living in hard-to-count neighborhoods.