IMMIGRANTS, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND
WHY IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WOULD BE
AFRAID TO FILL OUT THE CENSUS
QUESTIONNAIRE.
LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT
THIS.
AND INTERNATIONALLY REGARDED --
JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM
WASHINGTON DC.
MR. FRY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US.
WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED THAT THE CITIZENSHIP
QUESTION WILL INTIMIDATE
IMMIGRANTS AND PARTICIPATE --
PROHIBIT PARTICIPATION IN THE
CENSUS.
CAN HE TELL US HOW THIS WILL
HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE U.S.
CITIZENS?
NORMALLY, UNDER NORMAL
CIRCUMSTANCES, AND A NORMAL
POLITICAL CLIMATE, IT IS ALMOST
A DIFFICULT SELL TO HAVE
PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO ARE
NONCITIZENS EVEN LEGAL
NONCITIZENS TO GO ALONG WITH
THE CENSUS BECAUSE THEY ARE
AFRAID THAT IF THEY REGISTER
WITH THE GOVERNMENT, EVEN IF
THEY ARE LEGAL AND THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS ARE NOT OR SOMEONE ELSE
IN THEIR COMMUNITY IS NOT, THEY
ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
THAT IS UNDER NORMAL
CIRCUMSTANCES.
NOW WE HAVE A VOLATILE
POLITICAL CLIMATE WITH RESPECT
TO IMMIGRATION.
ON TOP OF THAT, THERE WILL BE A
QUESTION PROPOSED TO ASK IF
YOU'RE A LEGAL CITIZEN OF THE
UNITED STATES.
I THINK THAT WILL HAVE A BIG
IMPACT ON HOW SUCCESSFUL THE
CENSUS WILL BE IN PUSHING
PEOPLE AWAY WHO REALLY DO NOT
WANT TO ANSWER THAT KIND OF
QUESTION.
IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE
THE RATIONALE ACCORDING TO THE
ADMINISTRATION'S THE QUESTION
IS BEING ASKED IN ORDER TO
PROTECT MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS
USE THE RATIONALE THAT THIS IS
TO HELP ENACT THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT THAT REQUIRES TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE DIFFERENT RACIAL
MINORITIES RESIDE IN DIFFERENT
POTENTIAL ELECTION DISTRICTS
AND WHETHER CITIZENRY IS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
NO CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP HAS
BROUGHT THAT UP AS SOMETHING
FOR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO
DO.
IN FACT CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS ALL
AROUND ARE TELLING US THIS WILL
HAVE AN OP -- OPPOSITE AFFECT
AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WANT
TO COUNT OR ABLE TO COUNT ARE
AFRAID TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IT IS A MOOT ARGUMENT ON THE
PART OF THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD
SEEM THE ADMINISTRATION THINKS
ARE MOST PROTECTED BY THIS.
THEY DON'T FEEL PROTECTED BY
THIS.
PEOPLE CAN OPT TO NOT
ANSWER BECAUSE OF THE QUESTION,
WHAT COULD THAT UNDERCOUNT TO A
CITY LIKE MIAMI OR OTHER
COMMUNITIES PARTICULARLY WHEN
IT COMES TO FEDERAL FUNDING ?
I THINK IN TERMS OF FEDERAL
FUNDING, THE DISTRIBUTION OF
PROGRAMS FOR HOUSING, CHILDREN,
HEALTH GETS ALLOCATED ON THE
BASIS OF COMMUNITIES.
WITHIN A STATE, WHETHER IT'S
FLORIDA, CALIFORNIA, TEXAS,
WHAT THIS WILL DO IS 10 TO
UNDERCOUNT AND UNDERREPRESENT
PEOPLE IN BIG CITIES AND OVER
REPRESENT PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS
AND SMALL TOWNS.
ON TOP OF THAT, BECAUSE OF
YOUNGER POPULATION, THE YOUNGER
MINORITY POPULATION LIVES IN
THE BIG CITIES, IT WILL
ESPECIALLY IMPACT CHILDREN AS
THEY GET FUNDS FROM VARIOUS
STATES AND SOURCES BECAUSE IT
WILL BE DONE ON A BASIS OF A
FLOOD -- FLAWED CENSUS.
THE CENSUS IS ALSO USED TO
DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF
REPUTATION -- REPRESENTATION
EACH STATE GETS IN WASHINGTON
DC, RIGHT ?> THAT IS CORRECT.
CALIFORNIA COULD LOSE ONE SEAT
BECAUSE IT IS ON THE CUSP
ANYWAY.
IF THEY ARE VERY BIG, NON-
CITIZEN POPULATION IS A
RELUCTANCE TO FILL OUT THE
CENSUS FORM.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WITHIN
STATES, NOT ONLY THE
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS BUT
STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS
WILL HAVE THAT KIND OF IMPACT.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THE RULE
AREAS WILL BE OVERREPRESENTED,
URBAN AREAS UNDERREPRESENTED.
IS THERE ANOTHER WAY THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CAN GO ABOUT
GETTING THE CITIZEN DATA
OUTSIDE OF ASKING THIS QUESTION
IN THE CENSUS?
YES.
THE SAME WAY THEY'VE BEEN DOING
IT EVER SINCE THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT WAS PASSED IN THE 1960S.
THEY CAN GET IT FROM OTHER
SURVEYS.
NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED
THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY
THAT ASKED THIS QUESTION EVERY
YEAR TO A LARGE PART OF THE
POPULATION.
IT DOES NOT HAVE THE BAGGAGE
THAT IT WOULD HAVE IF IT WAS
ATTACHED TO THE SENSES.
IT IS GOOD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO
AFFECT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACTS.
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS EVER
SINCE THE LEGISLATION WAS
STARTED WITHOUT HAVING THE
QUESTION OF CITIZENSHIP.> WE
HEARD FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
IN CALIFORNIA WITHIN THE LAST
HOUR OR SO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
OF NEW YORK CAME FORWARD AND
SAID HE TOO WILL JOIN THE
LAWSUIT TO STOP THIS QUESTION
FOR BEING INCLUDED IN THE
CENSUS IN 2020.
CAN YOU PUT THAT IN HISTORICAL
CONTEXT FOR US ? HAS THERE EVER
BEEN A SUCCESSFUL LAWSUIT TO
CHALLENGE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE U.S.
CENSUS?
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN IT IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT COMES INTO MY
MIND.
I BELIEVE THERE IS SO MUCH
PUSHBACK AGAINST THIS FROM ALL
SOURCES.
19 ATTORNEY GENERAL'S HAVE
WRITTEN THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE, NOW LOTS OF DIFFERENT
ADVOCACY GROUPS AND AGENCIES
ARE WRITING TO THE GOVERNMENT
ABOUT THIS.
I THINK IF IT EVER HAS A CHANCE
TO PASS OR GET TURNED OVER BY