The move is a surprise win for advocates who opposed the question's addition, arguing it will lead to an inaccurate population count. The administration had argued the question was needed to enforce the Voting Rights Act (VRA).
"Surprise" to some possibly.
Those challenging the question said that asking about citizenship would cause non-citizens or immigrants to skip the question. The Trump administration has maintained in court filings that the data would not be accessible to other parts of the federal government, like immigration officials, but opponents argued that the implied perception surrounding asking about citizenship is enough to cause minority groups to not answer the question, or skip out on the census altogether.
Even though three pickup trucks and 4 Honda's are parked there, no one responded from 121 Woodland Place? Send in ICE to investigate.
The justices sent the issue back to the Commerce Department to provide another explanation.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined with the court's liberal wing in delivering the court's opinion.
Roberts wrote that "the decision to reinstate a citizenship question cannot be adequately explained in terms of DOJ's [the Department of Justice's] request for improved citizenship data to better enforce the VRA."
"Several points, considered together, reveal a significant mismatch between the decision [Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross] made and the rationale he provided."