Washington, D.C. – In response to President Trump’s Executive Order preventing undocumented immigrants in the United States from being counted in the apportionment base in the 2020 Census, John L. McCullough, President and CEO of Church World Service issued the following statement:
“This order is illegal and unconstitutional, full stop. The census is one of the most important tools our nation has to determine where public works are needed. It is unconscionable that this administration would choose to gut protections for America’s communities at a time when families need common-sense solutions, not more chaos. By wholesale excluding a segment of our population, the president is violating our Constitution, which demands the census counts the ‘whole number of persons’ in each state – regardless of immigration status. The administration is choosing partisanship over community, and the courts must shut this down.
The census lets our elected officials know how they can best serve their communities: where we need new schools, clinics, infrastructure, and services for families, seniors, and kids. It impacts a myriad of vital programs that keep Americans fed, healthy, and strong.
Once again, this president and his advisors are demonizing our immigrant neighbors, in a shameful attempt to sow division in our nation.
It’s sadly ironic, that in the wake of the death of Representative John Lewis, one of the champions of making sure everyone counts, that the president is shaking the very foundations of our republic.”
For more information contact media@cwsglobal.org.