Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored legislation to nullify the Trump administration’s Executive Order (EO 13880) that requires Federal agencies to share citizenship data with the Department of Commerce for political purposes.
“President Trump’s attempt to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census was rightly struck down by the Supreme Court. But he and his administration are still attacking immigrants and trying to turn the census into a partisan political tool. This Executive Order is a blatant attempt to keep immigrants in fear and prevent diverse communities from receiving the representation they’re due, and I won’t stand for it.”
BACKGROUND:
The President’s Executive Order instructs all Federal agencies to assist the Department of Commerce in determining the citizenship status of all people in the country (citizen, non-citizen, “illegal alien”). In particular, it directs the following agencies to share records on citizenship status:
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Department of State (State) Social Security Administration (SSA)
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The Executive Order also directs the Department of Commerce to begin the process of adding a citizenship question to the 2030 Census.
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