SACRAMENTO, CA, March 28, 2018 – The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California released the following statement from Riko Mendez, Executive Board Member of SEIU California and Chief Elected Officer of Local 521, in response to Attorney Jeff Sessions’ and the U.S. Department of Justice’s move, in concert with the Department of Commerce, to add a citizenship question to the Census:

Attorney General Sessions will stop at nothing to propagate his racist bullying and tear down the hardworking people of California and our nation. His latest underhanded move, working in concert with other federal agencies, to intimidate and wipe out immigrants and people of color by tampering with the Census will have devastating effects for California families and workers.”

SEIU California proudly stands up for and protects the dignity of all people, and that includes the right to be counted on the Census, an important marker of our state and nation’s diverse population and communities. We are committed to working with our partners to stop the abuse of power by Sessions and the exclusion of immigrant workers and people of color.