As an organization rooted in the belief that every person in Massachusetts deserves to be seen, heard, and counted, MIRA has joined a coalition of civil rights organizations — including the NAACP, SIREN, and others – in filing as parties in State of Missouri v. U.S. Department of Commerce, a lawsuit that threatens to fundamentally undermine how the United States counts its population.
The lawsuit, brought by Missouri, seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders from the US Census for the purpose of apportioning congressional seats. This would overturn more than two centuries of constitutional practice, which has always required counting all persons residing in the United States – regardless of immigration status.
MIRA felt it was important for us to intervene as we have little confidence that this administration’s Department of Commerce will defend against this suit. President Trump has been very public about his desire to exclude many immigrants from the Census. In his first term, he had tried to include a question on citizenship in the 2020 Census, a move that was thwarted by the Supreme Court, and announced this past August that he has instructed the Department to only count legal residents in the 2030 Census. These efforts are clearly aimed at undercounting minority populations, distorting political power and stripping communities of federal resources they depend on today. MIRA has served and advocated alongside these communities for nearly 40 years and could not sit by and watch as others seek to do irreparable harm to them.
What’s at stake for Massachusetts: If non-citizens are excluded from census apportionment data, the Commonwealth stands to lose one congressional seat and significant federal funding that supports education, housing, health care, and other critical services across our communities.
Every person living in Massachusetts counts – and should be counted. MIRA is proud to be joining this fight to defend the count of all people living in the Commonwealth and across this country.
Media:
Axios: Mass. groups fight lawsuit that could upend census, representation