October Term 2020 · Docket 20-366
Can the President Exclude Undocumented Residents From Census Counts?
New York and other states challenge a federal policy that excludes undocumented residents from census counts. They argue this violates the Constitution's apportionment clause.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
General Wall argued the case should be dismissed. He stated the district court found an injury based on a chill in participation. He claimed that counting is now over. He asserted that any chill has fallen away. He argued there is no live or ripe case now. He suggested the Court should hold the case for a couple of weeks.
Ms. Underwood argued the Constitution requires apportioning House seats by the number of persons. She stated the President's policy refuses to count people in unlawful immigration status. She claimed this policy is flatly inconsistent with the constitutional command. She argued there is a substantial risk of injury.
questions_and_argument_integration
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 33-41 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 33-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 15-33 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 15-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 19-29 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 19-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 9-29 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 9-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-37 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-43 — Transcript, file page 17, lines 17-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 49-29 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 49-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 45-55 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 45-55
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 15-47 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 15-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 21-33 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 21-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 23-51 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 23-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 47-17 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 47-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 55-25 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 55-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 53-19 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 53-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 77, lines 55-15 — Transcript, file page 77, lines 55-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 27-33 — Transcript, file page 79, lines 27-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 53-9 — Transcript, file page 79, lines 53-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 80, lines 55-17 — Transcript, file page 80, lines 55-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 23-35 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 23-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The dispute centers on whether the President can exclude undocumented residents from the census. This exclusion affects how House seats are distributed among states.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 30, 2020.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 23-51 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 23-51
What each side wants
The government wants the Court to dismiss the case as moot. It argues the census counting is already finished.
The states want the Court to block the exclusion policy. They argue it violates the constitutional requirement to count all persons.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
What each side says
The government argues the case is over because the counting phase has ended. It claims any potential chill on participation no longer exists.
The states argue the policy violates the Constitution. They contend the law requires counting all persons regardless of immigration status.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
What the justices asked
Justice Thomas asked if the issue is separate from the census itself.
Chief Justice Roberts asked if the December 31 deadline for transmitting census data is still operative. He asked if the Court needs to decide by that date. He also asked if the Court should assume the policy targets a specific subset of undocumented residents. He questioned whether the Court can intervene after the data is transmitted to the President.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 33-41 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 33-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 15-33 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 15-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 19-29 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 19-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 9-29 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 9-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-37 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-43 — Transcript, file page 17, lines 17-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 49-29 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 49-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 45-55 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 45-55
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 15-47 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 15-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 21-33 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 21-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 23-51 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 23-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 47-17 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 47-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 55-25 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 55-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 53-19 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 53-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 77, lines 55-15 — Transcript, file page 77, lines 55-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 27-33 — Transcript, file page 79, lines 27-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 53-9 — Transcript, file page 79, lines 53-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 80, lines 55-17 — Transcript, file page 80, lines 55-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 23-35 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 23-35
Why it matters
The outcome determines how the federal government counts residents for congressional representation. It defines the scope of the President's authority over census data. It impacts the distribution of political power among states.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 33-41 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 33-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 15-33 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 15-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 19-29 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 19-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 9-29 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 9-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-37 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-43 — Transcript, file page 17, lines 17-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 49-29 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 49-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 45-55 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 45-55
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 15-47 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 15-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 21-33 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 21-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 23-51 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 23-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 47-17 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 47-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 55-25 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 55-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 53-19 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 53-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 77, lines 55-15 — Transcript, file page 77, lines 55-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 27-33 — Transcript, file page 79, lines 27-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 53-9 — Transcript, file page 79, lines 53-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 80, lines 55-17 — Transcript, file page 80, lines 55-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 23-35 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 23-35
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 49, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-19 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 7-35 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 7-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 43-53 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 43-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 94, lines 37-55 — Transcript, file page 94, lines 37-55
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.