PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Kenney today released a statement following the federal court ruling which blocks the federal government’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census:

“Today’s ruling is a huge victory for Philadelphia and other cities across our nation. Adding a question about US citizenship to the 2020 Census would have added unfair obstacles to the constitutional mandate that all people be counted. It would have made many immigrant families fearful of completing the Census, and that would have resulted in decreased political representation in the federal government and a loss of significant federal funding tied to Census data. In short, a citizenship question would have politicized an essential element of our democracy. Our Administration now looks forward to working with all Philadelphians to raise awareness about the upcoming Census — to make sure that everyone knows they count.”