Planned Parenthood Calls on Supreme Court to Remove Census Citizenship Question

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that will decide whether or not a citizenship question will be included in the 2020 Census. While no decision is expected until June, Planned Parenthood is standing alongside partners to call for the removal of this question.

Statement of Dr. Leana Wen, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

As a physician who cares for immigrant communities and as an immigrant myself, I’m urging the Supreme Court to stop the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Every single person residing in the U.S. has a constitutional right to be counted and a fundamental right to health care, regardless of immigration status. This question is designed to sow fear in immigrant communities, where people already face too many barriers to care. It will create a larger undercount in these communities, and therefore less access to health care. Today, Planned Parenthood joins with our many partners to call on the Supreme Court to remove the citizenship question and allow the 2020 Census to count all people.

The census is an important tool to ensure that federal funds are proportionately distributed to public health programs throughout the country, including Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, and Title X. The census determines people’s long-term representation at the federal, state and, in many cases, the local level. It also plays a significant role in ensuring that federal tax dollars are sent where they’re needed, based on how many people live in a community. Adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census is a departure from longstanding policy in which all people residing in the United States are counted.

Certain populations, like families with young children, families with low incomes, immigrants and Indigenous populations, have historically been underrepresented in census data. Adding additional barriers and exacerbating the undercount of immigrant communities would likely mean a reduction in the amount of federal support for women’s health programs in those communities. For example, Medicaid, a program that one in five women of reproductive age rely on, accounts for 58 percent of census-guided funding. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also distributes funding for the nation’s only dedicated program for affordable birth control (Title X) based, in part, on the census. Other services affected by the census range from highways and construction to foster care to State Children’s Health Insurance Programs.

Planned Parenthood is proud to stand alongside partners to call for a census in 2020 that recognizes all communities and helps make our health care system better and more accessible.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.