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(Washington, D.C.)  U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh issued an order on Friday night in National Urban League v. Ross which will help ensure that the 2020 census adheres to the U.S. Constitution and counts every resident of the United States.

Civil rights, legal, and advocacy groups and several local governments, have been engaged in a six-month litigation and court battle over the nation’s 2020 census. On Friday night, the government affirmed in the stipulation that the Census Bureau will not release numbers that would likely have been used to exclude millions of undocumented people and negatively impact the process of awarding congressional seats and federal funding or rush the release of potentially inaccurate total population data. 
 
This latest development ensures the current administration can no longer manipulate the Census Bureau or the decennial census process for its own partisan ends. The stipulation will provide the incoming administration time to protect the accuracy of the census, and ensure that all persons are included in its counts used for apportionment and congressional redistricting.

The following are statements from groups involved in the case:

Damon Hewitt, executive vice president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: “This is a fitting end to the Trump presidency. Today’s court order puts a final and complete stop to an attempt to manipulate the census in a way that would have further harmed our most underrepresented communities. Make no mistake, this was an effort to dehumanize immigrant populations, and deprive them of the political representation and government resources they fairly deserve. Our nation’s Constitution requires the government to count all persons in the census, not just those who are privileged.”

Thomas Wolf, Senior Counsel and Spitzer Fellow, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law: “After several years of chaos that have threatened the accuracy and integrity of the count, the Trump administration has committed to standing down on reporting 2020 Census numbers—including citizenship numbers—in a significant victory for our lawsuit challenging the rush of the count. The Bureau will have more time to work on the numbers before they are released, instead of facing an artificial deadline of completing the task before President Trump leaves office. This increases the likelihood of a full, fair, and accurate count.”

Sadik Huseny and Melissa Arbus Sherry, Latham & Watkins partners, lawyers for the plaintiffs: “We cannot emphasize enough the importance of today’s stipulation and the Court’s order. We have always argued that an unrushed, full, and fair count is paramount to ensuring the accuracy of the 2020 Census. A stay that allows for the new administration to review the case and the record is in the best interest of the public and moves us exponentially closer to that goal.”

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The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes.  For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.

Latham & Watkins – The global law firm Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. For more information, please visit lw.com.