Official: Ending census early is 'political ploy' to hurt NYC
NEW YORK - The U.S. Census Bureau is ending its data collection for the 2020 Census a month earlier than previously scheduled.
"This is really a political ploy to hurt cities like New York that have large immigrant communities," said Julie Menin, the director of NYC Census and executive assistant corporation counsel at the city's Law Department.
U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham released a statement in which he said door-knocking efforts and collecting responses online, over the phone and by mail will now end on Sept. 30 instead of on Oct. 31.
"The census bureau's new plan reflects our continued commitment to conduct a complete count, provide accurate apportionment data, and protect the health and safety of the public and our workforce," he said.
In April, the bureau said it needed more time to collect information because of the coronavirus pandemic. It asked Congress for an extra 120 days, which President Donald Trump fully supported. However, legislation that would have extended the deadline is held up in the Senate.
"This is part of an unrelenting attempt to increase congressional representation in red Republican areas, and also to decrease funding to cities like New York that have large immigrant communities," Menin said. "This is absolutely unconscionable."
So far only 55% of New Yorkers have filled out the census, which means 1.5 million have not completed the census in New York City, according to the NYC Census 2020 office. Menin said six weeks to door knock on those households is a near-impossible task.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau said that to date nearly 63% of all households in the nation, or 93 million households, have responded to the census.
To fill it out the census, go to my2020census.gov.