The Big Story
2020 CENSUS—SCOTUS BLOCKS CITIZENSHIP QUESTION FOR NOW: Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) civil rights groups and immigration advocates are breathing a sigh of relief after the U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly halted the Trump administration’s plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Here are the details…
- What happened: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had claimed that the U.S. Department of Justice needed the citizenship query for “more effective enforcement” of the Voting Rights Act. But in the 5–4 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that Sec. Ross’ justification was “contrived” and that “the evidence tells a story that does not match the explanation [Secretary Ross] gave.” Three federal judges had previously blocked the Trump administration’s plans to add the question.
- Why this matters: As we wrote two weeks ago, Asian Americans would have been most impacted by the addition of a citizenship question—with an undercount resulting in reduced public funding and representation for AAPI communities. Here’s our previous recap on the issue.
- What’s next: The Supreme Court’s decision raises doubts that the Trump administration can get the question onto the census form before it is finalized this month. The case now returns to a judge in the Southern District of New York, and we should find out this week whether the Department of Commerce will try to add the question using an alternative explanation. NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang writes about how the fight could rage on.
Reactions from AAPI groups:
- APIAVote: “We are thrilled to see that democracy has won.”
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice: “We refuse to be silenced and refuse to be made invisible.”
- The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: “We will continue the fight to ensure that everyone in our country is properly counted.”
- The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association: “The courts should continue to discredit the post-hoc reasoning of the Administration in its attempts to stop a fair and accurate count.”
On the Agenda
ICE RAIDS EXPECTED AFTER JULY 4: President Donald Trump said Saturday that raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in as many as 10 major U.S. cities are still planned to take place after the July 4 holiday. Washington Post previously reported that ICE would target up to 2,000 families with final orders of deportation. Read more.
- Meanwhile… The Department of Homeland Security is preparing a regulatory notice to expand “expedited removal” orders, BuzzFeed News reports—a long-rumored move that would allow ICE officers to arrest and deport more undocumented immigrants without a hearing in front of an immigration judge. Read more.
SCOTUS TO WEIGH IN ON DACA NEXT TERM: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over the legality of the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields an estimated 700,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Read more.
ICYMI—U.S. WON’T CAP H-1B WORK VISAS OVER DATA RULES: The State Department says it has no plans to impose a cap on issuing H-1B work visas for nations that force foreign companies to store data locally, Reuters reports. Recent data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shows that the chance of getting approved for an H-1B is declining. Read more.
HOW QUEER AND TRANS AAPI GROUPS ARE RESHAPING PRIDE: Huiying Chan highlights the work of eight queer and trans Asian American-led organizations and how you can help support them beyond Pride month. Read more.
NO NEW ACTION ON NY’S SHSAT BILL: A controversial bill pushed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to scrap the entrance exam for New York’s elite high schools went nowhere in the state legislature’s latest session, EdWeek reports. The mayor’s effort faced blistering criticism from some AAPI groups, including the Asian American Bar Association of New York. Read more.
2020 Watch
WARREN’S PLAN FOR ASIAN AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURS: In a new op-ed for the Asian Journal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) emphasizes the need for diversity in entrepreneurship and her plan to expand opportunities and financial capital for minority-owned small businesses. Read more.
NBC DENIES YANG’S MIC WAS CUT OFF AT DEM DEBATE: NBC pushed back on claims by presidential hopeful Andrew Yang that the network had muted his microphone during Thursday’s Democratic debate. Supporters launched the hashtag #LetYangSpeak after the entrepreneur spoke for less than three minutes—the least amount of all 20 Democratic candidates during the two-night event. Read more.
HARRIS’ POST-DEBATE FUNDRAISING HAUL: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) raised more than $2 million from 63,277 donors in the 24 hours following the start of Thursday’s presidential primary debate, her campaign says—making it her best day of online fundraising yet. Read more.
GABBARD WAS CONSIDERED FOR TRUMP’S VA SECRETARY: Leaked presidential transition documents obtained by Axios reveal that Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) was vetted for the post of Veterans Affairs secretary. A spokesperson for Rep. Gabbard tells The Daily Beast that she was not aware that she was considered for the position. Read more.
The Trump Era
FBI PUSHES FOR SCRUTINY OF CHINESE SCHOLARS: The FBI is urging members of the Association of American Universities to devise measures for monitoring students and visiting scholars from some Chinese state-affiliated research institutions and companies, NPR reports. Read more.
- Context: The news comes as many college administrators are greeting government claims on China with increasing skepticism, while activists are sounding the alarm over what they say is a targeted campaign against Chinese Americans in academia. In a recent email to students, MIT President L. Rafael Reif warned that “we must take great care not to create a toxic atmosphere of unfounded suspicion and fear” in efforts to combat academic espionage.
- Meanwhile… A senior official at the National Institutes of Health tells Science that the agency’s investigation into the misuse of federal funds by researchers affiliated with overseas institutions has resulted in more firings and grant refunds by universities than previously disclosed. Read more.
MORE IMMIGRATION MOVES—TRUMP TAPS ACTING ICE CHIEF FOR CBP POST: Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Mark Morgan will become acting chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. An immigration hardliner, Morgan is aligned closely with President Trump on issues such as the border wall, impending ICE raids, and the controversial treatment of immigrant families and children at border facilities. Read more.
U.S., NORTH KOREA AGREE TO RESTART NUCLEAR TALKS: President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un committed to reviving stalled nuclear talks on Sunday, with Trump becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step foot into North Korea. Read more.
On the Hill
BORDER AID BILL HEADS TO TRUMP’S DESK: The House voted 305–102 Thursday to pass a $4.6 billion in humanitarian aid for migrants at the southern border, approving the Senate version of the legislation over the objections of nearly 100 Democrats. The bill provides nearly $2.9 billion for the care of migrant children, funds 30 new teams of immigration judges, and gives more than $1.3 billion to improve facilities at the border. Read more.
MORE THAN 1,000 IN CNMI WON’T BE DEPORTED: 1,039 long-term humanitarian parolees and their families will gain permanent status now that CNMI Del. Gregorio Sablan’s Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act, H.R. 559, has been signed into law by President Trump. Read more.
ICYMI—CONGRESS STEPS UP SCRUTINY OF FOREIGN RESEARCH LINKS: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) introduced the Protect Our Universities Act, which would require students from China, Iran, and Russia to undergo background screening before participating in “sensitive research projects,” Inside Higher Ed reports. Read more
Representation Roundup
Notable activity from AAPI members of Congress (June 22–30):
- Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr urging him to investigate Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross following the Supreme Court’s decision to block a citizenship question from the 2020 Census. Read more.
- Rep. Judy Chu (D-California) introduced an amendment to border appropriations bill H.R. 3401 that would prevent any funds from being used to operate Fort Sill, a former Japanese American internment camp. Read more.
- The House passed an amendment introduced by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) to reiterate federal ethics rules amid heightened scrutiny of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and her family’s shipping business. Read more.
- Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida) introduced the Reclaiming Congressional Trade Authority Act, which would require congressional approval for any tariffs imposed for national security reasons. Read more.
- Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) joined colleagues in introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act prohibiting federal funds from being used to conduct military operations against Iran without congressional approval. Read more.
- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) reintroduced the No More Presidential Wars resolution, H.Res. 411, which would define “presidential wars” not declared by Congress as impeachable offenses. Read more.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) joined other legislators in introducing the Student Debt Cancellation Act of 2019, which would forgive all outstanding federal and private student loans. Read more.
- Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California) introduced the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which serves as a federal ban on LGBTQ conversion therapy. Read more.
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) introduced the LGBT VA Advocacy Inclusion Act, which would make services by the Department of Veterans Affairs more inclusive for LGBTQ veterans. Read more.
- Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) joined colleagues to introduce the Ensuring Equal Access to Shelter Act, H.R. 3018, that would block a Department of Housing and Urban Development proposal to strip away protections for homeless transgender Americans. Read more.
- Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-California) reintroduced the Gender Equity in Education Act of 2019, S. 1964 and H.R. 3513. Read more.
- Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) led a group of Democratic lawmakers to protest a proposal from the Department of Labor that would undermine joint employment standards. Read more.
- Rep. Doris Matsui (D-California) introduced the Public Health Funding Restoration Act, which would fully restore the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund. Read more.
- Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) reintroduced the PRO Students Act, which establishes regulations for the for-profit college system. Read more.
- The House passed an amendment co-authored by Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) to provide federal funding for a highway overpass deemed critical to the future of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Read more.
- Rep. TJ Cox (D-California) introduced a resolution designating the month of June as Portuguese Heritage Month. Read more.
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