To the Forefront Community,

On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, President Trump signed a memorandum instructing the Census Bureau to exclude undocumented immigrants from the data file created after the Census to be used for reapportionment of elected districts. It directs the Census bureau to remove any undocumented immigrants from its total population count of cities, states, and the country.

The memorandum will undoubtedly deter many communities from participating in the Census. As advocates of the enduring effort to achieve a complete Census count in Illinois, Forefront objects to this effort to undermine our right to be counted.

Our most powerful collective action is to immediately participate in the 2020 Census. Now, more than ever, we must keep our eye on the ultimate goal: to ensure a complete and accurate Census count for the future of our State and the future of our country.

Forefront continues to advocate for our right, as residents of the United States, to be counted in the 2020 Census. The U.S. Constitution specifically states that Congressional representation should be allocated based on the total population in a state. Every immigrant, every child, every student, EVERYONE—must be counted. There are no exceptions. The Census Bureau has a legal responsibility to keep the personal data it collects confidential. And, hundreds of civil rights organizations across the country have pledged to monitor and use every tool necessary to make sure nothing interferes with this obligation.

Forefront’s IL Count Me In 2020 program will continue working hard to ensure a fair and accurate count in Illinois, and as partners, funders, and grantees of this collective effort, we ask you to stand with us, engage your community, and continue to get Illinois counted.

Join us on social media using the hashtag #ILCountMeIn2020 and learn more about our efforts to get Illinois counted at www.ILCountMeIn2020.org.

In solidarity,

K. Sujata, Interim Executive Director, Forefront

Greg DiDomenico, Board Chair, Forefront