LDF Condemns Proposed Changes to U.S. Census Process that Would Likely Severely Limit Black Representation

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau published a newly proposed rule that would upend long-standing processes for the Census ahead of the 2030 count of the U.S. population. An accurate count in the Census is crucial to ensuring that all communities are fairly represented in Congress and local government, that resources are fairly allocated based on population, and the effective enforcement of the nation's civil rights laws.

The Trump Administration's proposal to remove noncitizens from the total population counts and eliminate demographic questions from the Census would also severely impact research quality and the government's ability to effectively distribute resources, which could lead to drastically increased health, voting, economic, and environmental disparities among communities. Among other impacts, these changes would reduce transparency and accountability in the creation of new congressional and other districts that follow the census and would deny states crucial information necessary for drawing fair districts that enforce the Voting Rights Act and other federal laws.

In response to the proposed regulations the Legal Defense Fund issued the following statement:

"These proposed changes run headlong into the Constitution - which clearly mandates the counting of 'the whole number of persons in each State.' The changes are not about ensuring an accurate count but rather originate from the administration's fear of the truth and the facts: that our population is more diverse than ever and that discrimination in voting and other areas of American life is alive and well and leads to negative outcomes in the health and well-being of our communities. These efforts stem from discriminatory and xenophobic rhetoric that this administration is intent on disseminating and its continued rejection of accountability by denying the real, lived experience of everyday Americans.

"We can call this proposed rule what it is: the next step in a plan to deny Black voters a voice in government and a place in America's public life while denying communities critically needed resources. We denounce this proposed rule and call on the Census Bureau to abandon this effort and ensure that the census continues to reflect our nation in all its diversity."

The proposed rule is not currently in effect.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF)is the nation's first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF's archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.