It's astonishing that I am reporting as good news the fact that the Trump administration (such as it is) has seen the handwriting on the wall and chosen to leave the citizenship question off the 2020 census, but that is actually happening and yes, it is good news.
Last week's Supreme Court decision challenged Trump and the Republicans to come up with the real reason for their desire to have it on the census. Chief Justice John Roberts made it clear he did not believe the pretext that they were somehow protecting the VRA.
This is a huge victory for everyone fighting for the civil rights of all people in this country, but the battle is far from over.
It is unclear whether the Hofeller files will make their way into the record, or whether they will ever be part of a record, since the Supreme Court decision may render the ACLU's lawsuit moot for 2020. That won't stop them from trying to add it for 2030, and it won't stop census workers from intimidating and/or excluding immigrant communities.
It is an important battle to win, but the war wages on.
