While a Federal District Court ruling blocks efforts by the Trump Administration to shut down Census fieldwork by September 30, Yonkers State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh and fellow State Legislators are calling on Congress to act quickly to preserve the integrity of the 2020 Census.
In a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate in Washington, Sayegh and 38 members of the New York State Senate and Assembly urge legislative action to protect the Constitutionally mandated Census.
“It is exceedingly clear that a complete count has not been conducted resulting in a dramatic undercount especially in urban areas of New York,” said Yonkers Assemblyman Nader Sayegh.“This undercount will lead to grave consequences for our residents in every neighborhood across the State of New York.”
The call for Congress to act comes as the Federal District Court for Northern California has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump Administration from shutting down Census field operations September 30. Assemblyman Sayegh praised the ruling of the court as a victory for Yonkers and other hard-to-count communities.
The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, The New York State Congressional delegation and Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, whose department oversees the Census.
“On behalf of my colleagues in the New York State Legislature, we urge you to pass legislation to extend the deadline for a count in accordance with the responsibilities enumerated to Congress in Article 1 of the United States Constitution. In this extraordinarily difficult time, coordinated effective action on all levels of government has made a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. We hope that you can continue to deliver for New Yorkers and all Americans by protecting the integrity of the Decennial Census,” states the letter, signed by Sayegh.
