>>> THE CENSUS BUREAU IS ASKING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY FOR FILES ON MILLIONS
OF IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING
NONCITIZENS, AS IT COLLECTS DATA
AHEAD OF THE 2020 CENSUS
ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS, THE DATA WOULD, QUOTE,
GIVE THE CENSUS BUREAU A VIEW OF
IMMIGRANTS’ CITIZENSHIP STATUS
THAT IS EVEN MORE PRECISE THAN
WHAT COULD BE GATHERED INDOOR TO
DOOR CANVASSING ACCORDING TO
BUREAU RESEARCH.
BUREAU RESEARCH. THE REQUEST COMES AS A SECOND
FEDERAL JUDGE RULED THAT THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CANNOT ADD
AS QUESTION ON CITIZENSHIP TO
THE 2020 CENSUS.
AND AS THE SUPREME COURT HAS
ALREADY PREPARING TO HEAR
ARGUMENTS ON THE CASE NEXT
MONTH.
MONTH. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR FEDERAL
AGENCIES LIKE THE IRS OR SOCIAL
SECURITY TO PROVIDE THE CENSUS
BUREAU WITH SUPPLEMENTAL
INFORMATION, BUT THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS SAYS THIS LEVEL OF DATA
DUMP WOULD, QUOTE, BE APPARENTLY
UNPRECEDENTED EVEN THOUGH THE
CENSUS BUREAU CANNOT SHARE
PERSONAL DATA THAT THEY COLLECT
WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
LET’S LOOK AT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLANS
FOR THE 2020 CENSUS.
>>> THE CENSUS IS TAKEN, AS YOU
KNOW, EVERY TEN YEARS STARTING
IN 1790, BY THE WAY.
IT’S MANDATED BY THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. AND THE RESULTS DETERMINE THE
NUMBER OF CONGRESSIONAL
REPRESENTATIVES IN EACH STATE
AND HOW FEDERAL FUNDING IS
ALLOCATED FOR RESOURCES, LIKE
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
2020 IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST
YEAR THAT ALL RESIDENTS WILL BE
ABLE TO FILL OUT THE CENSUS
ONLINE, WHICH THE BUREAU HOPES
IS GOING TO INCREASE RESPONSES
AND SAVE TIME AND MONEY.
PAPER FORMS WILL STILL BE
AVAILABLE, HOWEVER.
AVAILABLE, HOWEVER. LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THIS WITH VICTORIA DE
FRANCESCO.
FRANCESCO. SHE’S A PROFESSOR AT THE L.B.J.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS UNIVERSITY OF
TEXAS AND AN MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. SO, HELP US THROUGH THIS.
TO THE AVERAGE VIEWER, TO THE
AVERAGE EYE, THEY MIGHT SAY,
OKEYDOKE, THEY’RE ASKING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
MORE INFORMATION. MORE INFORMATION IS GOOD.
WALK US THROUGH THE RISKS AND
WHY PEOPLE WILL NOT WANT TO
PARTICIPATE.
PARTICIPATE. >> RIGHT, STEPHANIE.
SO LET’S START WITH THE BACK
GROUND OF THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS DURING THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION REGARDING
ADMINISTRATION REGARDING IMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANT STATUS.
IT’S ONE OF FEAR.
IT’S ONE OF FOLKS BEING VERY
SCARED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE
HAULED OFF, DEPORTED, THEIR
FAMILY MEMBERS, THEIR LOVED ONES
ARE GOING TO BE DETAINED.
SO THERE IS THIS LARGER
ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE AN ALREADY
VERY FEARFUL POPULATION AND YOU
ASK THEM TO GIVE YOU SENSITIVE
INFORMATION, NAMELY, WHAT THEIR
IMMIGRATION STATUS IS, THAT
PUSHES FOLKS FURTHER AND FURTHER
INTO THE SHADOWS, WHICH THEN
MEANS FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE
ANSWERING THE CENSUS AND THEY’RE
JUST GOING TO BE IGNORING IT AND
SAYING, I’M TOO SCARED TO ANSWER
IT.
IT. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT AFFECTS
ALL OF US BECAUSE THE FUNDING
THAT IS DETERMINED THROUGH THE
CENSUS, AS ALI WAS JUST SAYING,
OUR ROADS, OUR BRIDGES, MEDICAID
FUNDING, HEAD START FUNDING --
IT AFFECTS ALL OF US.
AND ALSO THE REDISTRICTING.
SO WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING THE
MONEY NOT BEING ALLOCATED
CORRECTLY, AND ALSO STATES THAT
SHOULD BE GETTING MORE SEATS
BECAUSE OF GROWTH IN THEIR
POPULATION, NOT GETTING THOSE
SEATS.
SEATS. AND STATES WHERE ACTUALLY LOSING
POPULATION PERHAPS HOLDING ONTO
THAT.
THAT. SO IT’S JUST A BIG HOT MESS
WOULD BE MY TAKE ON THIS.
>> PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES ARE NOT
DEALT WITH BECAUSE OF THIS VERY
FEAR, PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO
ANSWER CERTAIN QUESTIONS ON THE
CENSUS SO THEY DON’T PUT IT IN.
YOU HAVE GREAT SWATHS OF THE
POPULATION WHO ARE NOT
REPRESENTATIVE.
REPRESENTATIVE. SAN FRANCISCO JUDGE HAD SOME
STRONG WORDS FOR WILBUR ROSS IN
HIS COURT DECISION ON WEDNESDAY
SAYING, QUOTE, HE ACTED IN BAD
FAITH IN DISCLOSING THE BASIS OF
HIS DECISION TO INCLUDE THE
CITIZENSHIP QUESTION AND USED
VOTING RIGHTS AS A PRETEXT TO
JUSTIFY IT.
JUSTIFY IT. EST SAID --
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> YEAH, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> SO, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT,
WILBUR ROSS SAID ONE OF THE
REASONS THEY WANTED TO INCLUDE
THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION WAS TO
GET A BETTER STATISTICAL HANDLE
ON THE VOTING AGE POPULATION TO
THEN GO AHEAD AND STRENGTHEN THE
VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
I DON’T KNOW HOW THEY ULTIMATELY
CAN CONNECT THE TWO.
THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO
STRENGTHEN THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
AND TO MAKE VOTING EASIER.
I DON’T THINK THIS IS ONE WAY.
LET ME JUST SPEAK AS A SURVEY
RESEARCHER.
RESEARCHER. >>> THE SURVEY RESEARCH 101 IS
YOU SIMPLIFY SURVEY INSTRUMENTS
TO MAXIMIZE RESPONSE RATES.
THAT’S WHAT YOU DO.
AND WHAT THEY’RE DOING HERE IS
MAKING IT INFINITELY MORE
COMPLICATED.
COMPLICATED. SO FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE
ANSWERING.
ANSWERING. AND THE FACT IS THAT THERE HAVE
BEEN TWO INSTANCES IN THE PAST
WHERE THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS
SHARED INFORMATION.
SHARED INFORMATION. THE FIRST ONE WAS JAPANESE
INTERNMENT.
INTERNMENT. THE SECOND ONE WAS AFTER 9/11
FOR ARAB AMERICANS.
SO ADD THAT TO THIS FEARFUL