Equal Ground Responds to Donald Trump’s call to unlawfully redo the Census ahead of 2030

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Contact: Feldman Strategies, team@feldmanstrategies.com

Equal Ground Responds to Donald Trump’s 

call to unlawfully redo the Census ahead of 2030

In response to today’s announcement Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, the preeminent Black-led, non-partisan, non-profit organization working to expand Black political power in Florida – said:

“The day after the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act - a law born out of generations of struggle to secure fair representation in our democracy, Donald Trump has loudly professed his desire to trample on the voting rights of millions by ordering a new, unlawful census.

The United States Census is mandated by the Constitution to occur once every ten years. It is not a political tool for any administration to manipulate for partisan advantage. It is a vital, nonpartisan effort to produce an honest and accurate snapshot of America. It must be conducted thoughtfully and deliberately, with a focus on reaching every person, regardless of race, income, or immigration status.

Calling for a new census is not just illegal, it’s wildly impractical. The census is a years-long operation requiring deep planning, careful coordination, extensive staffing, and billions of dollars in funding. Entire agencies and local governments work for nearly a decade to prepare for a single count. You cannot haphazardly redo the census because it no longer suits your political agenda. Doing so would waste resources, sow confusion, and result in a deeply flawed and incomplete picture of who lives in this country.

We also condemn Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to erase undocumented people from the census. This is not only morally repugnant, it is legally indefensible. Even in this country’s darkest and most shameful hour, when it permitted the vile and inhumane institution of slavery, enslaved people were counted for the purposes of congressional representation. They were denied every right and ounce of human dignity, yet they were still counted. That historical fact makes clear, the census is for everyone.

What’s even more shameful is that conservative states like Florida and Texas are standing by, waiting to seize on this unlawful order from their authoritarian-in-chief to upend our democracy. Instead of being complicit in this scheme, these states should be suing the federal government to defend the constitutional rights of the 50+ million people who live in those states, not enabling a reckless power grab that disenfranchises them. 

Instead of grandstanding with unconstitutional demands for a new census, we call on this administration to prepare in earnest for the 2030 count, to invest in the resources, personnel, and protections necessary to ensure every community is counted fairly and completely.”

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To schedule interviews with Equal Ground Executive Director Genesis Robinson, email team@feldmanstrategies.com