Source:newdelhitimes.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday defended his decision to halt a\n legal fight to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. census \nforms, one day after issuing an executive order directing the Department\n of Commerce to obtain citizenship data through other means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking before departing the White House, Trump said he did not \u201cback down\u201d on the citizenship question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI backed up because anybody else would have given this up a long time ago,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The once-a-decade census, which aims to tally all people living in \nthe United States, is required by the Constitution in order to draw the \nboundaries of the legislative districts that elect members to Congress. \nIt also guides the federal government in allocating more than $800 \nbillion in funding for services such as schools and law enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Experts from the Census Bureau estimated 6.5 million people would not\n respond if the citizenship question were asked, leading to an \nundercount of the census.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, instead of using census workers to tally citizens and \nnon-citizens, the president has ordered federal agencies to provide data\n for establishing citizenship numbers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many opponents of the citizenship question have vowed to fight on. \nThe American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has threatened legal action, \nsaying in a statement the organization will \u201cscrutinize [new plans] \nclosely and assess their legality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers\u2019 \nCommittee for Civil Rights Under Law, told reporters Thursday that the \ngroup would use \u201cevery tool in our arsenal to police the administration,\n should their executive action violate constitutional or legally \nprotected rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson said the organization was committed to \nensuring the census does not systematically undercount communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are prepared to fight against any plan that effectively turns the\n census into another form of voter suppression and economic \ndisempowerment in our communities,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the citizenship question from the census.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A court majority rejected the government\u2019s original justification, \nbut the ruling left open the possibility the Trump administration could \ntry again in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 1950, the citizenship question has not been asked of U.S. households. <\/p>\n