The following is a statement from Jessica Azua, Immigration Justice Director of the Texas Organizing Project, in response to the Trump administration calling on the U.S. Census Bureau to end counting efforts for the 2020 Census on September 30, a month sooner than announced previously by the bureau:
“At a time when this pandemic is so clearly showing how the distribution of resources can be a matter of life and death for our nation’s Black and Latino communities, it is nothing short of malfeasance for President Trump to abruptly call for Census counting efforts to stop a month early. It is underhanded actions like this that illustrate Trump’s blatant disregard for everyone who is not in his preferred demographic.
“Trump’s handling of the Census count has been as bungled as his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and communities of color are bearing the brunt of his toxic combination of ineptness, arrogance, and racism.
“We urge Congress to extend the Census counting deadline into next year, ensure that a full count is obtained with a robust door-to-door effort done safely, and forcefully call out the Trump administration for its intentional politicization of this process that is key to determining an accurate distribution of power and money.
“TOP will continue its work to inform our communities of the importance of completing the Census. We are so far on pace to hit our Census outreach goal of 50,000 Texans. We will not be deterred by a narcissistic bigot in the Oval Office who fails to grasp the concept of leadership.”
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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.
This statement was sent out August 4, 2020.