How the Trump admin pushed for a #2020census citizenship question and ended up in court👇
(I'll be at the trial in NY starting Monday.)
npr.org/2018/11/04/661…
(Yes, stand by for video receipts...)
Ross discussed it w then-WH adviser Steve Bannon & pushed for Q after taking over @CommerceGov.
But here's how Ross testified👇
c-span.org/video/?c475881…
c-span.org/video/?c475881…
"They don't have to answer it, really," he said.
You can be fined for refusing to answer. Here's the law👇
law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/13…
But you're more than likely to get a phone call or an in-person visit from a census worker.
And that is scary to a lot of people, as @MPenalozaNPR & I have reported👇
npr.org/2018/05/11/610…
Some of the hardest-to-count groups in U.S. think citizenship Q will be used to locate undocumented immigrants👇
But many people don't believe the gov't will keep that promise👇
npr.org/2018/11/01/663…
census.gov/newsroom/blogs…
Back to digging,
Your @NPR #2020census reporter
“We are fighting for a fair count!” chant members, supporters of lawsuit plaintiffs @thenyic @MaketheRoadNY👇
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DrPeZ1zW4AAP81Y.jpg)
Instead of a thread on plaintiffs' 1st witness - @DukePoliSci's D. Sunshine Hillygus - here's her expert report👇
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
But bureau's chief scientist has testified...👇
Here's her affidavit on impact of #2020census citizenship question👇
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
- Hermann Habermann, former @uscensusbureau deputy director & chief statistician of US
(EXPERT REPORT: apps.npr.org/documents/docu…)
- Joe Salvo, chief demographer @NYCPlanning
(NO REPORT, LIVE TESTIMONY)
ABOWD MEMO👇
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
"We're headed in the wrong direction" assuming that past @uscensusbureau efforts to address lowered self-response will work, Salvo said.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DrVPkovWwAA0anF.jpg)
Stand by for some more takeaways...
"It intensified the resolve of City Hall to commit resources," Salvo said.
@TheJusticeDept atty Garrett Coyle asked if it was Salvo's understanding that @uscensusbureau has asked Congress for permission to hire noncitizens.
"That would be great," Salvo added.
I followed up w chief of bureau's public info office, Michael Cook, who referred me to this from Aug👇
His expert report is worth a read👇
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DrXVgaBVAAEekPB.jpg)
During cross-examination, @TheJusticeDept atty Stephen Ehrlich asked Habermann if testing always faces constraints of budget, resources & time.
- Bill O'Hare, demographer who has researched census undercount of young children
- Andrew Reamer of @GWIPPGWU, who has researched how the census affects federal funding
Btw, here’s what this hotly-contested question looks like👇
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DrZ9sbiXcAAhSE5.jpg)
- John Thompson, former @uscensusbureau director
- @realMABarreto, @UCLA professor & co-founder of @LatinoDecisions
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
Expert report by fmr @uscensusbureau Dir. John Thompson, one of Day 4 plaintiffs' witnesses👇
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
Sitting in gallery behind plaintiffs’ table is former @uscensusbureau Director John Thompson, once a top gov’t bureaucrat who is getting ready to testify against the gov’t today in these cases.
Plaintiffs calling to witness stand:
- @cwarshaw, @GWtweets poli sci prof
- Lisa Handley, voting rights expert
- @john_abowd, @uscensusbureau chief scientist
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
@uscensusbureau Center for Economic Studies👇
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
He’s the last witness & U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman has tentatively scheduled oral/closing arguments for Nov. 27.
@john_abowd does not know who changed @uscensusbureau's response to @CommerceGov Q: "What was the process that was used in the past to get questions added to the decennial Census"?
EARLIER THREAD👇
npr.org/2018/11/01/663…
to collect data to refuse to meet with bureau's technical staff to discuss request👇
- Lisa Handley's expert report:
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
- @cwarshaw's affidavit:
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
- @john_abowd's declaration:
apps.npr.org/documents/docu…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dr9lueLXcAADZpU.jpg)
Final artwork for #2020census forms is due to printer by June 2019. Any changes made after Oct. 31, 2019, will require major redesigns and may need congressional authorization.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dr99pdcWkAE1r1E.jpg)
Abowd testified he did not have impression that @SecretaryRoss had made up his mind on whether to add #citizenshipquestion during Abowd’s only meeting w Ross in February 2018, recalls Ross adding lots of Qs.
census.gov/content/dam/Ce…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dr-5UZoX4AEuXWW.jpg)
Stand by for takeaways...
just played clip of @SecretaryRoss's Nov. 13 interview to @YahooFinance’s Andy @serwer for @uscensusbureau Chief Scientist John Abowd.
"Not the air I was breathing,"
Abowd said.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtBD4iFWsAAIqyN.jpg)
@TheJusticeDept atty Brett Shumate argued if judge orders injunction of citizenship Q, it should only be applied to plaintiffs w standing. Furman asked if that could mean no Q only for forms in NY. Up to @SecretaryRoss to decide, Shumate said.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtB4-MrW0AEnHAV.jpg)
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtCr5a0W0AIw1LX.jpg)
npr.org/2018/05/17/612…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtDUYfQXgAAlYQj.jpg)