FAIR: Census Should Count Everyone, but Illegal Aliens Should Not Get Representation at the Expense of Legal Residents

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Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

Jul 21, 2020, 14:34 ET

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in regard to President Trump's Executive Order mandating that only legal U.S. residents be counted in the Census for the purpose of apportioning congressional representation:

"Today's Executive Order by President Trump is an honest attempt to ensure that the Constitutional mandate to count every person residing in the United States and guarantee full and fair representation to every citizen and lawful immigrant will be carried out.

"For decades, the inclusion of illegal aliens in the Census tally for the purpose of apportioning representation in Congress has resulted in American citizens and legal immigrants being denied representation. The practice has also robbed Americans in some states of federal resources and awarded federal dollars to states with large populations of illegal aliens. Often, the states that gain representation and federal resources encourage illegal immigration through sanctuary policies and generous benefits to illegal aliens.

"The president's order instructs the Department of Commerce to use all available data to identify illegal residents and subtract them from the reapportionment count. While the available data cannot identify every illegal resident, Supreme Court precedent affirms the president's authority to act on the information that is available.

"The apportionment of federal representation is a zero-sum game. Additional seats in Congress are awarded to some states because they have large illegal alien populations, meaning that other states and their citizens lose seats and federal money. The process of including illegal aliens in the Census count for the purpose of reapportionment, as it has been practiced in recent decades, is fundamentally unfair to law-abiding Americans, and the president should be applauded for taking long overdue action to safeguard their interests and constitutional rights."

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 2 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)