Trump to announce executive action on census citizenship question


Trump to announce executive action on census citizenship question

Citizenship question coming?

President Trump will announce an executive action to add the citizenship question to the 2020 census, two senior administration officials have confirmed to CBS News. Mr. Trump announced a White House Rose Garden press conference on the topic for Thursday afternoon. 

The anticipated announcement comes as the president exhibits frustration over the Supreme Court decision that his administration failed to provide adequate justification for adding the question. Multiple legal battles over the question are still playing out in lower courts. 

It isn’t yet clear exactly what kind of executive action the president will take. Prior to the president’s announced Rose Garden presser, administration officials inside the Justice Department have expressed skepticism about the viability of an executive order. 

An executive order is expected to be instantly challenged in court, while the administration is under a deadline to print the census. No one within Justice Department has been able to articulate another way for the president to proceed with his push to add the question. 

Mr. Trump has previously told reporters he was considering an executive order, although he also said last week his administration was exploring multiple possible other routes. 

Attorney General William Barr has said he sees a way to legally pursue adding the question, but his lawyers have yet to present such a path.

The White House has not yet announced a time for the press conference, but the president says it will follow a 3:45 p.m. address he’s giving to a group of conservatives at a White House social media summit. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid contributed to this report.




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