UH Experts Discuss SCOTUS Ruling on 2020 Census Citizenship Question

The United States Supreme Court will soon rule on a highly controversial case that involves putting a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

The case, U.S. Department of Commerce v. New York, challenged the Trump Administration’s decision to add the question in what it said is an effort to better enforce voting rights. Some states and civil rights groups argue that adding the question will result in an undercount because people living in the country without legal permission would be less likely to respond to the census.

University of Houston experts are available to discuss how the outcome will impact Houston and all of Texas.  

Emily Berman, assistant professor at the UH Law Center, is an expert on constitutional law and can speak to the implications of the decision for executive-branch discretion and the extent to which political appointees can unilaterally shape policy.

Teddy Rave, associate professor at the UH Law Center, is an expert on elections and the law of democracy. Rave can discuss the decision’s ramifications for voting rights and elections.

Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the UH Law Center Immigration Clinic, can discuss immigration law and policy generally, as well as the consequences of the decision on the immigrant community.

Jeronimo Cortina, associate professor of political science, can speak about whether the decision to add the question will lead to an undercount and therefore have an effect on redistricting.

Amanda Baumle, professor of sociology, examines how adding a question on citizenship to the census could possibly shift the distribution of seats in the Texas House of Representatives, resulting in shifts of political representation and resource allocation.

The University of Houston offers live high definition broadcast interviews through our ReadyCam broadcast studio. Located on campus, the digital studio can connect UH experts with networks 24/7. 

To arrange interviews with these UH professors, contact Sara Tubbs at sstubbs2@uh.edu, 713.743.4248 or Carrie Criado, UH Law Center assistant dean of Communications and Marketing at cacriado@uh.edu, 713-743-2184.