LOS ANGELES (CNS) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says he remains committed to the principle of a challenge to President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude people living in the country illegally from the population count used to allot states seats in the House of Representatives.
Last month, California led a multi-jurisdiction brief to the Supreme Court in Trump v. City of San Jose, which, building on an earlier district court win, pushed back on the president’s attempt to undermine a complete, accurate census count by altering the census’s long-standing process on apportionment.
In challenging Trump’s census memorandum, the state was joined by the cities of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland, as well as the Los Angeles Unified School District and Los Angeles County.
The US Supreme Court this week vacated the earlier judgment, and sent the case back to the US District Court for the Northern District of California with instructions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.
The challenge demanded that the federal government include undocumented immigrants in the census count to determine congressional representatives and boundaries. In a memorandum, President Donald Trump sought to exclude people in the country illegally from the count used to allocate seats in the US House of Representatives.
“A complete, accurate census is about ensuring all our voices are heard and that our states get their share of resources to protect the health and well-being of all of our communities,” said Becerra, who is President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of health and human services.
“We remain committed to the core principle that everyone counts,” Becerra said.
“Here in California, we’ll continue to stand up for each and every person who calls our state home.”