The narrowing of access to public discussion of the census
The Trump administration is leaving no agency or mechanism untouched in its attack on the public’s access to its own data. Now, the census is again at risk. On March 4, newly confirmed Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick shut down three panels of volunteer statisticians, demographers and advocates that help the U.S. Census Bureau improve the accuracy and efficiency of its data collection.
These committees have helped advance improvements in federal race and ethnicity standards as the nation prepares for the 2030 Census, providing technical advice on reaching underrepresented communities and ensuring an accurate count of all people in the United States.
In January, our Research and Data Analysis team submitted public comment on matching ancestry responses to its new race and ethnicity categories. Our letter included details on how to define the newly added Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category (we use the term Southwest Asian and North African). It also included recommendations on data reporting for people who write in ancestries that end up reported as “Some other race” and “Two or more races” in most public data.
“These groups are particularly diverse racially, geographically, ethnically, and culturally,” said Leila Forouzan, Senior Manager of Research and Data Analysis at Catalyst California. “This makes the data hard to understand because the category’s composition is unclear, and the data generally reflect only the largest ancestry groups in the category.”
Dismantling the census advisory panels injects worrisome uncertainty into the processes of public comment review and incorporation, as well as preparation for the 2030 Census. The census determines political representation, because it governs how the federal government draws congressional district lines and distributes public funds. Its successful implementation depends on giving the bureau ample opportunity to consult with outside advisors and the public at large.
The attack on the bureau’s outside panels comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s removal of thousands of pages from core data sites used to track compliance with civil rights legislation. Our data research team immediately swung into action to help download and protect that data, and we will continue our advocacy in every space possible for accurate, freely accessible data.
The Trump administration’s data attacks might be less visible than the mass layoffs sweeping through important federal agencies, but they are no less dangerous. Because these data affect budget decisions, the growth and wellbeing of the nation, and of California, are at risk.
“As data scientists, we have always known the importance of openness and accuracy in government data,” said Elycia Mulholland Graves, Director of Research and Data Analysis . “Now we must organize with and join movement leaders to become steadfast data advocates guarding our democracy against the data erasure happening right before our eyes.”