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Morning! 
A thing not getting enough attention is that the Trump admin is quietly ending the 2020 census count early knowing it will leave communities of color politically and economically weakened for at least a decade. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-2020-census-jeanne-shaheen_n_5f4fb730c5b69eb5c0378a2a?e2
A thing not getting enough attention is that the Trump admin is quietly ending the 2020 census count early knowing it will leave communities of color politically and economically weakened for at least a decade. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-2020-census-jeanne-shaheen_n_5f4fb730c5b69eb5c0378a2a?e2
I talked to a very concerned @SenatorShaheen about what the Trump admin is doing. She's the top Dem on the Senate panel charged with funding the census.
"They don’t really want the American people to know what’s going on."
"They don’t really want the American people to know what’s going on."
Trump has been trying to weaken the 2020 census count for years -- and, surprise, in ways that would esp hurt minorities.
He tried to add a citizenship q. (Failed.)
He directed the govt not to count undocumented immigrants when redrawing congressional districts. (Uh, illegal.)
He tried to add a citizenship q. (Failed.)
He directed the govt not to count undocumented immigrants when redrawing congressional districts. (Uh, illegal.)
His admin's latest move? Just stop counting early.
This final stage of the census count is the only stage being cut short. It's also the most crucial part for reaching "hard-to-count populations." Which largely happen to be... communities of color.
This final stage of the census count is the only stage being cut short. It's also the most crucial part for reaching "hard-to-count populations." Which largely happen to be... communities of color.
Non-English speakers + low-income people are among the hardest people to count.
They rely on census takers coming to their homes in this final stage of the count to do “nonresponse follow-ups" b/c they didn't respond via the internet, by phone or mail.
They rely on census takers coming to their homes in this final stage of the count to do “nonresponse follow-ups" b/c they didn't respond via the internet, by phone or mail.
Some people in remote areas, like those on tribal reservations, have no internet access. Some people move a lot and don't have landlines, which makes it harder to tie them to a mailing address.
Door-knocking is the most effective way to make sure everyone gets counted.
Door-knocking is the most effective way to make sure everyone gets counted.
The Trump admin is abruptly ending census door-knocking a month early -- after already losing months of time for door-knocking in the spring b/c of COVID-19.
Census takers simply won’t reach some of these communities at all.
Census takers simply won’t reach some of these communities at all.
“It’s clear they’re trying to manipulate the census,” Sen. Shaheen told me. “In the Constitution, they said that ... every 10 years there should be a count of all Americans. That’s what the census is trying to do. Unfortunately, this administration has politicized that count.”
So what if you don't get counted?
The census isn't just a head count.
It's used to draw congressional districts. If fewer people of color are counted in a given area, for ex, their community may be split up among several districts. Lost political power. For a decade.
The census isn't just a head count.
It's used to draw congressional districts. If fewer people of color are counted in a given area, for ex, their community may be split up among several districts. Lost political power. For a decade.
The census is also used to decide how much federal $ goes to every community.
For *each person* who isn’t counted, their community loses *thousands of dollars* every year. For 10 years.
That $ would have gone toward things like health care, education and infrastructure.
For *each person* who isn’t counted, their community loses *thousands of dollars* every year. For 10 years.
That $ would have gone toward things like health care, education and infrastructure.
Tribal advocacy groups are very concerned about what is happening. Some reservations have no internet and are very remote. They'll just be passed over entirely.
“Think of being powerless and poor. That’s what this does.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/census-bureau-2020-native-american-tribes-undercount_n_5f355270c5b6960c0671ca77
“Think of being powerless and poor. That’s what this does.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/census-bureau-2020-native-american-tribes-undercount_n_5f355270c5b6960c0671ca77
I heard from a number of census takers on the ground who shared anecdotes about how tainted the public has come to see the process under Trump.
They described people refusing to participate because they think the census is a partisan ploy, or they don’t trust census workers.
They described people refusing to participate because they think the census is a partisan ploy, or they don’t trust census workers.
A couple of census takers described "extreme mistrust" in Latino communities, which isn't surprising given that Trump tried to put a citizenship Q on the census.
"ICE has ruined the census in my neighborhood," one census taker in Oregon told me.
"ICE has ruined the census in my neighborhood," one census taker in Oregon told me.
A Census Bureau spokesperson did not answer my ? when I asked why they are ending the 2020 count early, esp when they know it will disproportionately hurt communities of color.
Instead, they sent me a link to a statement about 73% of U.S. households being counted.
Instead, they sent me a link to a statement about 73% of U.S. households being counted.
Man, this thread got long.
Enough from me. Here's the story that goes into all of this.
A fast-moving situation with long-term implications for every community’s economic and political power. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-2020-census-jeanne-shaheen_n_5f4fb730c5b69eb5c0378a2a?e2
Enough from me. Here's the story that goes into all of this.
A fast-moving situation with long-term implications for every community’s economic and political power. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-2020-census-jeanne-shaheen_n_5f4fb730c5b69eb5c0378a2a?e2
