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Rep. Chu Welcomes Resignation of Census Director Dillingham

January 27, 2021

Washington, D.C. – US Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced his resignation today following calls from Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) and others for him to step down after it was reported that Dillingham pressured career Census Bureau employees to prioritize producing a rushed and statistically inaccurate report that would have been used to exclude undocumented immigrants from apportionment totals. Rep. Chu issued the following statement:

"The era of Trump-style government is coming to an end, and with it, an end to the political appointees like Steven Dillingham who put power and politics over the needs of our country. Despite the clear intent of the Constitution and against the advice of experts and his own Census Bureau employees, Director Dillingham tried to intentionally distort the 2020 Census to shift power and resources away from diverse states like California. His proposal was born of xenophobia and intended to perpetuate inequality in opportunity and political representation. That is why I, along with my Tri-Caucus colleagues, called for his immediate resignation. By continuing the Trump administration's obsession with singling out undocumented immigrants and communities of color, Dillingham signaled that his loyalty is to Trump's politics of division, not the American public. Stepping down was the right thing to do. It is time for a government that respects the Constitution and the American people. That is why the American people overwhelmingly elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. If any other Trump holdouts in the government feel they cannot put the needs of the country of their desire for power and partisanship, then they should step down too."