Manatt’s John Libby, leader of the firm’s investigations and white collar defense group, spoke with Courthouse News about the Trump administration’s announcement that it would drop its proposed citizenship question from the 2020 census.
On June 27, the Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Commerce’s efforts to add a citizenship question to the upcoming census was “contrived” and failed to provide enough of an explanation for its addition. Following the ruling, President Trump tweeted that he planned to delay the census in order to give the Department of Commerce enough time to provide the Supreme Court with more information.
In discussing the administration’s announcement with Courthouse News, John stated that the team was pleased the administration has “recognized reality and decided not to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.”
“Now everyone in the U.S. will have a chance to be counted, and we urge all to complete and return their census forms next year,” he added.
Libby and a team of Manatt attorneys, along with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Public Counsel, served as counsel to the city of San Jose and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration in a related citizenship case in California in March. The team also filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, arguing that the question’s addition was unconstitutional, arbitrary and capricious.
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