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“Are you a U.S. citizen?” It seems like a simple enough question, but that’s not what the Trump Administration had in mind when they wanted to add it to the census. There’s a reason that this question led to fights in the courts, and you need to understand why.
The Trump Administration knew that adding such a question could skew the numbers because it might scare away people who are non-citizens or undocumented from wanting to take part. The question became an issue of jeopardizing the accuracy of the count.
Vox reported that Democrats opposed to Trump’s move pointed out that “skewing the population counts used to draw Congressional districts” would be “eventually giving Republicans a bigger electoral advantage.” This shows why it’s important that we as Black people participate.
Trump’s attempt to add the question failed, but it’s important for us to see why it was happening in the first place. The Trump Administration wanted to get citizenship information because ultimately it affects redistricting and elections. This is a big deal for Black people.
Whether you’re a Black immigrant or refugee or not, it’s important to see the plot that was at hand. Discouraging our participation in the census is an old trick, and we shouldn’t fall for it!