New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, New York Attorney General Letitia James and the New York City Council Census Task Force are launching a joint effort to protect an accurate and inclusive 2030 Census. Their efforts follow proposed changes by the Trump administration, which exclude noncitizens and nonpermanent residents from the census apportionment count and eliminate questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
Menin and James plan to submit public comments opposing the changes and are urging New Yorkers to participate in the federal comment process, which is scheduled to close Oct. 13. They are also calling for an extension of the comment period because of the significance of the proposed changes.
"Attorney General James and I stood together in 2020 and successfully fought the Trump administration’s unconstitutional citizenship question before the U.S. Supreme Court. We again will stand up to ensure that every single New Yorker is counted in 2030 and that work begins now," said Speaker Julie Menin.
Accurate census counts in New York City help determine congressional representation and the distribution of federal resources.
Census data also supports programs serving residents in areas including education, health care and housing. Excluding residents based on immigration status could result in an undercount of communities across the city.
Menin established the city's first Census Task Force in August, bringing together community organizations, census experts, researchers, faith leaders, labor representatives and civic institutions. The task force is co-chaired by L. Joy Williams, Emely Paez and Jeffrey M. Wice.
New York City also established an Office of the Census last year to strengthen local participation and planning. The city will continue engaging communities that have historically been undercounted, developing recommendations and providing information about the proposed federal changes.
New Yorkers can submit public comments before the Oct. 13 deadline. The Census Task Force will continue its work ahead of 2030 to help ensure residents understand the census process and that New York City is prepared for the next count.
