Attorney General William Barr said Monday that the Justice Department has a new legal strategy for adding a question about citizenship status onto the 2020 census, according to a new report.
“I think over the next day or two you’ll see what approach we’re taking,” Barr told reporters in South Carolina. “And I think it does provide a pathway for getting the question on the Census.”
The attempt by the Justice and Commerce Departments to add the question was struck down by a recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision.
The comments from Barr follow DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec announcing that the DOJ was switching up its legal team in the census case. “As will be reflected in filings tomorrow in the census-related cases, the Department of Justice is shifting these matters to a new team of Civil Division lawyers going forward,” Kupec said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
“Since these cases began, the lawyers representing the United States in these cases have given countless hours to defending the Commerce Department and have consistently demonstrated the highest professionalism, integrity, and skill inside and outside the courtroom,” Kupec said. “The Attorney General appreciates that service, thanks them for their work on these important matters, and is confident that the new team will carry on in the same exemplary fashion as the cases progress.”
