The News
Tuesday 23 of April 2024

Supreme Court expands April 23 census arguments


AP Photo,Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testifies during the House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
AP Photo,Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testifies during the House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will try to resolve all the legal issues about a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

The justices on Friday are expanding their April 23 arguments to include whether asking about citizenship would violate the Constitution’s call for a once-a-decade count of all people, not just citizens. The court already was considering whether Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ decision to add a citizenship question is arbitrary and capricious under federal law.

The court is hearing the Trump administration’s appeal of a federal judge’s ruling in New York that the decision violated federal law. Since then, a judge in California said a citizenship question also would violate the Constitution.

A final answer about a citizenship question is needed soon to allow printing of the census questionnaire.