“We agree with the U.S. Supreme Court that the Trump administration’s explanation for including the citizenship question was contrived. The administration’s real motivation was to suppress the count of certain groups. While this decision is a victory for New York State as the citizenship question is off the census for now, given that this decision is complex and that the case is being sent back for further consideration, there will remain confusion and a potential chilling effect in many of our communities across New York State.

“The Complete Count Commission will not rest. We have heard from hundreds of individuals at hearings across the state who must be counted in the census. We will continue our work to make sure every resident of New York State is counted, regardless of this case’s ultimate outcome.”

“The proper role of government is to do everything in its power to ensure a complete and accurate census count. The Department of Commerce should abandon its desire to weaponize the census process and instead focus on their constitutional obligation to count every person across the country.”

The New York State Complete Count Commission

Jim Malatras, President, Rockefeller Institute of Government, Co-Chair

Rossana Rosado, New York State Secretary of State, Co-Chair

Adam J. Bello, Monroe County Clerk

Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Executive

Andrew A. Beveridge, Ph.D., President and CEO of Social Explorer & Professor of Sociology at Queens College and the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York

Byron W. Brown, Mayor, City of Buffalo

Jose Calderón, President of the Hispanic Federation

Karim Camara, Executive Director and Deputy Commissioner, Governor's Office of Faith-Based Community Development

Héctor J. Figueroa, President of 32BJ Service Employees International Union

Lauren Moore, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System

Bitta Mostofi, Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs

Roberta Reardon, Commissioner, New York State Department of Labor

Joseph Salvo, Chief Demographic Officer, New York City Planning Department

Esmeralda Simmons, Founder & Executive Director, Center for Law & Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, CUNY

Lovely Warren, Mayor of the City of Rochester

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