The Phoenix City Council voted Tuesday to pursue litigation against the federal government in response to a plan to include a question about U.S. citizenship on the 2020 Census. Council members Daniel Valenzuela and Kate Gallego sent a letter to Mayor Greg Stanton requesting the Council vote on the item during the Policy meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting was the last one for Stanton, who resigned to run for Congress.
For the City of Phoenix, an undercount of Phoenix residents could affect Community Development Block Grants (CSBG), Section 8 housing assistance, Head Start/Early Head Start, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food and nutritional services and Medicaid, and law enforcement/homeland security grants, among other major programs. Additionally, highway and transit planning and construction would also be seriously impacted.
Although Census Day is two years away on April 1, 2020, the City of Phoenix has already begun efforts to ensure it gets every dime it can.
“The stakes are incredibly high,” said Councilman Daniel Valenzuela. “In March, I warned about the impact such an order will have. Census figures are used to redraw political boundaries from school boards to congressional seats as well as determine how much money cities and states receive from the federal government. I appreciate Mayor Stanton’s decision to place this matter before the full City Council. I thank my colleagues on the Council for voting to pursue litigation against the federal government to protect the best interests of our citizens.”
“I am concerned the 2020 Census citizenship question stands to jeopardize federal funding allocated to Phoenix to help provide critical public services including police and fire protection, transportation, and many other services,” said Councilwoman Kate Gallego. “In addition, the Census stands to marginalize residents who are part of our community. At this time, it is in the best interest of the City of Phoenix to take legal action against the Trump Administration.”
More than a dozen cities and states across the U.S., along with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, have joined lawsuits against the federal government.
According to Judicial Watch, Stanton “gave a political open-borders ally millions of taxpayer dollars to complete a job in an area it suspiciously has zero experience in. Under the shady deal, the radical La Raza group Promise Arizona (PAZ) will receive $2.4 million from the city of Phoenix to conduct “Business Assistance” during construction of a light rail extension. Some Phoenix City Hall insiders believe it’s a payoff by the outgoing mayor, Greg Stanton, to support his upcoming congressional run.”