SCOTUS ruling will stymie use of census for political immigration influence for now, professor says

LAWRENCE — The Supreme Court announced Thursday a ruling that prevents the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, at least temporarily. In a partially unanimous ruling, with splits among justices in various sections of the case, the court upheld a ruling from the Southern District of New York that held adding such a question was “arbitrary and capricious.”

While the ruling prevents a question asking whether individuals are U.S. citizens, it is not clear how it will affect the timeline of the census. University of Kansas researcher Lua Yuille is available to discuss the ruling with media. Yuille, a professor of law and affiliated professor with KU’s Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, is an expert in immigration law, asylum, property and business associations. The case has a bearing on immigration and politics as it was argued such a question would lead individuals not to responding to the census, leading to an undercount of immigrants.

Yuille can discuss the ruling, its effects on immigration, citizenship, next steps in the case, immigration law and related topics. The ruling will prevent using the census for political gain for now, she said.

“The citizenship census question is just one of the ways the government is trying to extend the reach of its draconian and iniquitous approach to immigration and citizenship,” Yuille said. “This ruling may stymie that effort, for now, but comprehensive legal changes are necessary prevent future co-opting of the census.”

Yuille’s work connects property theory, economics, business law, critical pedagogy and group identity, and she has studied communicative influence of citizenship law. She maintains a pro bono practice consulting on immigration matters and advocating for survivors of domestic violence. To schedule an interview, contact Mike Krings at 785-864-8860 or mkrings@ku.edu.