EPIC - EPIC v. Commerce (Census Privacy)

EPIC v. Commerce (Census Privacy)

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EPIC v. Department of Commerce, No. 18-2711 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 20, 2018), is a lawsuit to block the unlawful collection of personal data concerning citizenship status via the 2020 Census. In March of 2018, the Department of Commerce and U.S. Census Bureau announced the addition of a citizenship question to the decennial census for the first time in 70 years. The controversial question, which members of the public are required by law to answer, would have compelled the disclosure of personally identifiable information from hundreds of millions of people.

The collection of citizenship status information poses major privacy risks and threatens to undermine the quality of census response data. Yet the Commerce Department and Census Bureau did not conduct a privacy impact assessment prior to initiating the data collection process, as required by the E-Government Act of 2002. As a result, the agencies failed to disclose key information about the privacy implications of collecting citizenship data and unlawfully placed the privacy of census respondents at risk.

EPIC's lawsuit, brought under the E-Government Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, sought to halt the collection of citizenship data and to compel the Commerce Department and Census Bureau to comply with their privacy impact assessment obligations. On January 18, 2019, EPIC filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block implementation of the citizenship question pending a final ruling on EPIC's claims. "Congress expected that the Bureau would conduct a comprehensive privacy review early in the process, not as the census forms were heading to the printer or delivered to the post office," EPIC told the court.

On February 8, 2019, the district court denied EPIC's motion. The court acknowledged that the Census Bureau must prepare privacy impact assessments which "adequately address the collection of citizenship data in the 2020 Census” and noted that “negative policy consequences” could result “if an agency drags its feet in performing its PIA obligations.” Nevertheless, the court held that the Bureau may drag its feet in conducting the required assessments “until the Bureau mails its first batch of Census questionnaires to the public” in 2020.

On February 12, 2019, EPIC appealed the district court's denial of EPIC's motion for a preliminary injunction. On February 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted EPIC's motion to expedite the appeal. EPIC filed an opening brief on March 1. The government filed a response on April 1, and EPIC filed a reply on April 11. Oral argument was held on May 8, 2019. On June 28, 2019, the D.C. Circuit ruled that EPIC lacked Article III standing in the case. The Court counterintuitively held that the E-Government Act—which requires agencies to make privacy impact assessments "publicly available" before undertaking a new collection of data—does not "vest a general right of information in the public."

On July 11, 2019—following the Supreme Court's ruling in a related case—President Trump confirmed that the Department of Commerce had permanently withdrawn the citizenship question from the 2020 Census. On August 12, EPIC filed a petition for rehearing, rehearing en banc, or vacatur and remand with the D.C. Circuit. On September 16, the Court denied EPIC's petition.

EPIC petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case on December 16, 2019.

Top News

Supreme Court Won’t Review Deeply Flawed Ruling in EPIC v. Commerce : The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review a deeply flawed ruling in EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC's suit to halt the collection of citizenship data in the 2020 Census due to the government's failure to complete required privacy impact assessments. Under the E-Government Act, federal agencies must make privacy impact assessments "publicly available" before undertaking a new collection of personal data. Yet a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit ruled that the statute does not "vest a general right of information in the public" that would allow EPIC—one of the leading privacy organizations in the country—to obtain information about the government's data collection practices. Last year, the Supreme Court's decision in Commerce v. New York led to the removal of the citizenship question from the 2020 Census. EPIC filed an amicus brief in support of that outcome. (Apr. 27, 2020)

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EPIC Celebrates Sunshine Week with 2020 FOIA Gallery » (Mar. 16, 2020)

In celebration of Sunshine Week, EPIC has unveiled the 2020 FOIA Gallery. Since 2001, EPIC has annually published highlights of EPIC's most significant open government cases. For example, last year EPIC filed the first lawsuit in the country for the public release of the Mueller Report. The federal court rebuked Attorney General Barr and agreed to review the complete Mueller Report to determine what additional material must be released. EPIC also prevailed in EPIC v. the Commission on AI. A federal court ruled that the Commission on Artificial Intelligence is subject to the FOIA. Following the court's decision, the AI Commission released documents about its activities to EPIC. In this year's FOIA gallery, EPIC also highlighted pre-trial risk assessment reports, documents about Justice Kavanaugh's role in the warrantless surveillance program, a DHS drone status report, the Census data transfer plan, and more than 29,000 complaints against Facebook pending at the FTC.

EPIC to Congress: Suspend DHS Data Transfer to Census Bureau » (Jan. 8, 2020)

In a statement to Congress, EPIC warned that the proposed transfer of DHS data to the Census Bureau would violate the federal Privacy Act. The data include personal information about citizens, immigrants, and foreign nationals. EPIC urged the Committee to "block DHS from carrying out this proposed data transfer pending further review." EPIC previously warned the House Oversight Committee that President Trump's Executive Order on collecting citizenship data could undermine Privacy Act safeguards. EPIC opposed the citizenship question in the 2020 Census, arguing that the Bureau failed to complete required privacy impact assessments. EPIC also filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case warning that collecting citizenship information presents "enormous privacy and security concerns." The Supreme Court found the rational for adding the citizen question "contrived" and the question was withdrawn.

DHS Seeks to Transfer Personal Data to Census Bureau in Violation of Privacy Act » (Jan. 7, 2020)

The Department of Homeland Security has announced a plan to transfer detailed personal data collected from immigrants to the Census Bureau—an apparent violation of the Privacy Act. In a privacy impact assessment, published over the holiday break, the DHS revealed that it would provide names, addresses, social security numbers, and other highly sensitive data to the Census Bureau. Yet the DHS admitted that individuals weren't aware their personal data would be obtained by the Census Bureau, that the data may be inaccurate, or used for purposes unrelated to the census survey. The proposed data transfer follows a July executive order by President Trump, who vowed that the government "will leave no stone unturned" when seeking citizenship information from every person in the United States. EPIC previously warned Congress that the executive order could undermine Privacy Act safeguards. In EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC challenged the failure of the Census Bureau to conduct privacy impact assessments before adding the (later withdrawn) citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

EPIC Petitions Supreme Court to Obtain Privacy Impact Assessments from Census Bureau » (Dec. 16, 2019)

Today EPIC petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the D.C. Circuit decision in EPIC v. Commerce, which denied EPIC the right to obtain privacy impact assessments that the Census Bureau was required to publish before adding the citizenship question to the 2020 Census. EPIC told the Court that the lower court decision conflicts with earlier Supreme Court opinions and creates obstacles to public access to privacy impact assessments that Congress never intended. EPIC warned the Court that the decision makes the impact assessment obligation "essentially unenforceable." Earlier this year, the Supreme Court's decision in Commerce v. New York led to the removal of the citizenship question from the 2020 Census. EPIC filed an amicus brief in support of that outcome.

EPIC Seeks Documents About Executive Order on Citizenship Status Data Collection » (Jul. 31, 2019)

EPIC has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Commerce seeking documents about Executive Order 13,880, "Collecting Information About Citizenship Status in Connection With the Decennial Census." The executive order requires federal agencies across the government to transfer personal data, subject to Privacy Act safeguards, to the Department of Commerce to determine citizenship "status." Trump also ordered the Commerce Department to develop mechanisms for expanding the collection of data, including collecting data from state governments. Trump vowed that the government "will leave no stone unturned" when seeking citizenship information from every person living in the United States. EPIC recently sent a statement to Congress, warning that the executive order could undermine Privacy Act safeguards. EPIC opposed a similar effort by the Privacy Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to gather personal data from the states. The program was eventually suspended, the data deleted, and the Commission disbanded.

EPIC to Congress: Executive Order on Citizenship Status Threatens Privacy » (Jul. 23, 2019)

EPIC has sent a statement to Congress, warning that President Trump's Executive Order on Collecting Information about Citizenship Status could undermine Privacy Act safeguards. EPIC said "Although President Trump has abandoned his quest to seek citizenship information through the 2020 Census, the plan to aggregate data from other agencies in the Commerce Department is also problematic." EPIC explained that the "Executive Order contemplates both the collection of statistical data and the use of citizenship data for determinations about individuals." EPIC opposed the citizenship question in the 2020 Census, arguing in federal court that the Census Bureau failed to complete required privacy impact assessments. EPIC also filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, joined by 23 legal scholars and technical experts, warning that "collecting citizenship status information from hundreds of millions of U.S. residents presents enormous privacy and security concerns."

Trump Issues Executive Order To Seek Citizenship Information From All Federal Agencies » (Jul. 11, 2019)

President Trump announced today that he will order federal agencies to transfer personal data to the Department of Commerce to determine the number of non-citizens in the United States. Trump stated, "We will utilize these vast federal databases to gain a full, complete, and accurate count of the non-citizen population including databases maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, and the Social Security Administration." President Trump has abandoned his quest to seek citizenship information on the 2020 Census after the Supreme Court ruled that the Commerce Department's decision to collect citizenship data "cannot be adequately explained" by the rationale provided by the agency. EPIC separately sought to block the Census Bureau's collection of citizenship data because the agency failed to complete required privacy impact assessments. Last month, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision in the case, ruling that EPIC did not have a legal basis to obtain Privacy Impact Assessments from the federal government. EPIC also filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, joined by 23 legal scholars and technical experts, warning that "collecting citizenship status information from hundreds of millions of U.S. residents presents enormous privacy and security concerns." The federal Privacy Act also imposes limits on the ability of federal agencies to transfer personal data to other agencies. The DHS has previously stated that DACA applicant information would be used exclusively for the purposes for which it was provided.

BREAKING: Citizenship Question Dropped from 2020 Census » (Jul. 2, 2019)

The Census Bureau has confirmed that it will not collect personal data concerning citizenship status on the 2020 Census. The Bureau has instead ordered census forms to be printed without the proposed citizenship question. The decision follows a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court blocking the citizenship question over the government's failure to provide a "reasoned explanation" for collecting citizenship information. EPIC filed a separate lawsuit to block the Census Bureau's collection of citizenship data because the agency had failed to complete required privacy impact assessments. The D.C. Circuit reached a decision in EPIC's case last week. EPIC also filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, joined by 23 legal scholars and technical experts, warning that "collecting citizenship status information from hundreds of millions of U.S. residents presents enormous privacy and security concerns."

EPIC v. Commerce: D.C. Circuit Rules Privacy Impact Assessments Not Available to the Public » (Jun. 29, 2019)

The D.C. Circuit has issued a decision in EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC’s suit to halt the collection of citizenship data in the 2020 Census over the government’s failure to complete required Privacy Impact Assessments. Under the E-Government Act, federal agencies must make Privacy Impact Assessments “publicly available” before undertaking a new collection of personal data. Yet the D.C. Circuit ruled that the statute does not “vest a general right of information in the public” that would allow parties to obtain information about the government’s data collection practices. The court acknowledged that EPIC can sue on behalf of its members, but concluded that one of the leading privacy organizations in the country did not have a legal basis to obtain Privacy Impact Assessments from the federal government. EPIC may appeal the decision.

Supreme Court Blocks Census Citizenship Question » (Jun. 27, 2019)

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the citizenship question from inclusion on the 2020 Census, upholding the result reached in a lower court. The Court ruled that the Commerce Department's decision to collect citizenship data "cannot be adequately explained" by the rationale provided by the agency. "Altogether, the evidence tells a story that does not match the explanation the Secretary gave for his decision," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. Although the Court gave the Commerce Department a second chance to provide a "reasoned explanation" for the citizenship question, the government has said that it must begin printing forms by July 1—four days from now. EPIC is separately seeking to block the Census Bureau's collection of citizenship data because the agency has failed to complete required privacy impact assessments. A decision is expected soon from the D.C. Circuit. EPIC's case is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir). EPIC also filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, joined by 23 legal scholars and technical experts, warning that "collecting citizenship status information from hundreds of millions of U.S. residents presents enormous privacy and security concerns." EPIC said further "in failing to assess the risks that would result from the collection of personal data regarding citizenship status, the Census Bureau has violated its obligations under the E-Government Act."

EPIC Argues Against Collection of Citizenship Data in Federal Appeals Court » (May. 7, 2019)

EPIC Counsel John Davisson will argue before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday morning to block the Census Bureau from collecting personal data concerning citizenship status in the 2020 Census. The argument will begin around 10:00 a.m. ET and can be live streamed here. EPIC's case challenges the Census Bureau's failure to complete privacy impact assessments required by law. The Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. As EPIC previously warned the appeals court, "major privacy risks have not been addressed by the agency." EPIC has filed several successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments by federal agencies, including EPIC's case that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained. EPIC's census privacy case is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir.).

EPIC to Appropriations Committees: Suspend the Census Citizenship Question » (Apr. 29, 2019)

EPIC has sent a statement to the House Appropriations Committee prior to a hearing on Census oversight. EPIC urged Congress to require the Census Bureau to remove the citizenship question from the 2020 census, pending the completion and review of required Privacy Impact Assessments. EPIC told the Committee that the Census Bureau failed to complete the Privacy Impact Assessments required by Section 208 of the E-Government Act. The Census Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. "Congress made clear that data collection simply could not occur without the completion of these assessments," EPIC explained to Congress. In EPIC v. Commerce, currently before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, EPIC argued that the collection of personal data concerning citizenship status without the privacy impact assessments is unlawful. EPIC warned the federal appeals court that "major privacy risks have not been addressed by the agency."

EPIC FOIA: Census Bureau Gathers Noncitizens' Data Without Required Privacy Impact Assessment » (Apr. 23, 2019)

An EPIC Freedom of Information Act request has revealed that the Census Bureau obtains vast quantities of noncitizens' personal data from the Department of Homeland Security without having first conducted a required Privacy Impact Assessment. Under a written agreement disclosed to EPIC, the DHS transfers the "Legal Permanent Resident File" to the Bureau each year, which includes citizenship, immigration status, marital status, and other sensitive personal information. Yet the Census Bureau conducted no analysis of the privacy risks and failed to describe the personal data gathered. In EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC has charged that the Census Bureau failed to complete required Privacy Impact Assessments prior to adding the citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. EPIC's motion to halt the citizenship question will be argued before the D.C. Circuit on May 8.

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Census Citizenship Question » (Apr. 22, 2019)

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments this week in a case challenging the addition of the citizenship question to the 2020 Census. EPIC filed an amicus brief in Department of Commerce v. New York, urging the Court to uphold a New York federal judge's decision to remove the question. EPIC warned that the "extraordinary reach of the Bureau into the private lives of Americans brings extraordinary risks to privacy." In a related matter, EPIC's lawsuit to block the citizenship question, EPIC v. Commerce, is currently before the D.C. Circuit with an argument scheduled for May 8. EPIC has charged that the Census Bureau failed to complete required Privacy Impact Assessments prior to the decisions to collect personal data about citizenship. The Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. EPIC told the D.C. Circuit, "Key deadlines are fast approaching, and major privacy risks have not been addressed by the agency."

EPIC to Appropriations Committees: Suspend the Census Citizenship Question » (Apr. 3, 2019)

EPIC has sent a statement to the House and Senate regarding the FY2020 appropriations for the Department of Commerce. EPIC urged Congress to require the Census Bureau to remove the citizenship question from the 2020 census, pending the completion of legally required Privacy Impact Assessments. EPIC told the committees that the Census Bureau failed to complete the Privacy Impact Assessments required by Section 208 of the E-Government Act. The Census Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. "Congress made clear that data collection simply could not occur without the completion of these assessments," EPIC explained to Congress. In EPIC v. Commerce now before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, EPIC argued that the collection of citizenship data without the privacy impact assessments is unlawful. EPIC warned the federal appeals court that, "major privacy risks have not been addressed by the agency."

In Amicus Brief, EPIC Urges Supreme Court to Remove Census Citizenship Question » (Apr. 1, 2019)

EPIC filed an amicus brief in Department of Commerce v. New York, urging the Supreme Court to uphold a New York federal judge’s decision to remove the citizenship question from the 2020 Census. EPIC warned that “collecting citizenship status information from hundreds of millions of U.S. residents presents enormous privacy and security concerns.” EPIC described the history of census privacy, including EPIC’s 2004 FOIA lawsuit which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred data on Arab-Americans to the DHS after 9/11. EPIC also explained that, “in failing to assess the risks that would result from the collection of personal data regarding citizenship status, the Census Bureau has violated its obligations under the E-Government Act." In a related matter, EPIC’s lawsuit to block the citizenship question, EPIC v. Commerce, is currently before the D.C. Circuit with an argument scheduled for May 8. EPIC has charged that the Census Bureau failed to complete required Privacy Impact Assessments prior to the decisions to collect personal data about citizenship. The Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so.

EPIC to Congress: Suspend the Census Citizenship Question » (Mar. 13, 2019)

In advance of a hearing on the 2020 Census, EPIC has sent a statement to the House Oversight Committee urging Congress to require the Census Bureau to remove the citizenship question from the 2020 census. EPIC told the Committee that the Census Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments required by law. "Congress made clear that data collection simply could not occur without the completion of these assessments" EPIC explained. In EPIC v. Commerce, a case now before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, EPIC recently filed an opening brief to block the Census Bureau from collecting citizenship data in the 2020 Census. The Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. EPIC warned the federal appeals court that "major privacy risks have not been addressed by the agency."

EPIC Investigates the Transfer of Personal Data from DHS to Census Bureau » (Mar. 8, 2019)

EPIC has submitted urgent Freedom of Information Act requests to the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS and the Office of Immigration Statistics) and the Census Bureau for records about the planned transfer of personal data from DHS to the Census Bureau. After a federal judge in California ruled that adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census was unconstitutional, the AP reported that DHS would disclose to the Census Bureau personal data, including names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and alien registration numbers. The Census Bureau confirmed that the agency was preparing an agreement with DHS to “receive administrative records.” In EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC alleges that the Bureau failed to conduct and publish required privacy impact assessments before making an uninformed decision to collect citizenship data. EPIC is seeking an injunction from the D.C. Circuit, which will hear arguments in the case in May. EPIC's appeal is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir.).

Second Court Blocks Census Citizenship Question » (Mar. 6, 2019)

A federal court in California has blocked the Census Bureau from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, becoming the second court to do so. The court found that the Bureau made an arbitrary decision to include the citizenship question, then engaged in a "cynical search to find some reason, any reason" to "justify that preordained result." A federal court in New York recently blocked the citizenship question in a different case, but the Supreme Court is set to review that decision. In EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC alleges that the Bureau failed to conduct and publish required privacy impact assessments before making an uninformed decision to collect citizenship data. EPIC is seeking an injunction from the D.C. Circuit, which will hear arguments in the case in May. EPIC's appeal is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir.).

EPIC Files Opening Brief in Appeal to Block Census Citizenship Question » (Mar. 2, 2019)

EPIC has filed an opening brief in the appeal to block the Census Bureau from collecting citizenship data in the 2020 Census. EPIC told the D.C. Circuit that the Census Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments required by law. “This uninformed data collection by a federal agency is precisely what the E-Government Act prohibits,” EPIC explained. The Bureau concedes that it must complete the impact assessments but has so far failed to do so. EPIC warned the federal appeals court that “major privacy risks have not been addressed by the agency.” EPIC has filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's case that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained. EPIC's appeal is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir.).

Arguments Set for EPIC Appeal to Block Census Citizenship Question » (Feb. 26, 2019)

The D.C. Circuit has scheduled oral argument for May in EPIC's expedited appeal to block the Census Bureau from collecting citizenship information in the 2020 Census. EPIC alleges that the Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments required by the E-Government Act before adding the question. A lower court denied EPIC's motion for a preliminary injunction, agreeing that the Bureau is required to conduct the detailed assessments, but oddly concluding that it is not required to do so "until the Bureau mails its first batch of Census questionnaires to the public"—a view entirely at odds with the relevant law. A federal court in New York recently blocked the citizenship question in a different case, but the Supreme Court will now review that decision. EPIC has filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's case that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained. EPIC's appeal is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir.).

EPIC Seeks Early Argument in Appeal to Block Census Citizenship Question » (Feb. 21, 2019)

EPIC has asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to hold oral argument by April in EPIC v. Commerce, EPIC's expedited appeal to block the Census Bureau from collecting citizenship information in the 2020 Census. EPIC alleges that the Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments required by the E-Government Act before adding the question. A lower court denied EPIC's motion for a preliminary injunction, agreeing that the Bureau is required to conduct the detailed assessments, but oddly concluding that it is not required to do so "until the Bureau mails its first batch of Census questionnaires to the public"—a view entirely at odds with the relevant law. A federal court in New York recently blocked the citizenship question in a different case, but the Supreme Court will now review that decision. EPIC has filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's case that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained. EPIC's appeal is captioned EPIC v. Commerce, No. 19-5031 (D.C. Cir.).

Supreme Court to Hear Dispute over Census Citizenship Question » (Feb. 15, 2019)

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the government's appeal of New York v. Department of Commerce, in which a New York federal judge blocked the government from asking a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. EPIC filed an amicus brief in the case. EPIC has also sued to block the citizenship question in EPIC v. Commerce. EPIC alleges that the Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments before adding the question. A lower court held that the Bureau must "prepare PIAs that adequately address the collection of citizenship data in the 2020 Census," but denied a preliminary injunction. EPIC has appealed the decision.

EPIC Files Appeal to Block Census Citizenship Question » (Feb. 12, 2019)

EPIC has filed an expedited appeal in EPIC v. Commerce to block the Census Bureau from collecting citizenship information in the 2020 Census. EPIC alleged that the Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments before adding the citizenship question. A lower court held that the Bureau must "prepare PIAs that adequately address the collection of citizenship data in the 2020 Census" and the Bureau conceded it would complete the assessments by March. But the lower court denied EPIC's motion for a preliminary injunction, concluding that the Census Bureau is not required to conduct a privacy assessment "until the Bureau mails its first batch of Census questionnaires to the public," a view entirely at odds with the E-Government Act. EPIC has filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's case that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained. EPIC's case in the lower court is captioned EPIC v. Commerce, No. 18-2711 (D.D.C.).

Court Denies Injunction in EPIC Census Privacy Suit » (Feb. 8, 2019)

A federal court has denied EPIC’s motion for a preliminary injunction and refused to block the Census Bureau from collecting citizenship information via the 2020 Census. As EPIC told the court, the Bureau unlawfully failed to complete multiple privacy impact assessments before it abruptly introduced the citizenship question last year. The court acknowledged that the Bureau must “prepare PIAs that adequately address the collection of citizenship data in the 2020 Census” and noted that “negative policy consequences” could result “if an agency drags its feet in performing its PIA obligations.” Nevertheless, the court held that the Bureau may drag its feet in conducting the required assessments “until the Bureau mails its first batch of Census questionnaires to the public” in 2020. EPIC has filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's case that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained. EPIC intends to press forward with the census case, which is captioned EPIC v. Commerce, No. 18-2711 (D.D.C.).

EPIC Makes Final Arguments for Injunction Blocking Citizenship Question » (Feb. 6, 2019)

EPIC has filed a reply brief in EPIC v. Commerce urging a federal court to block the Census Bureau from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. EPIC alleges that the Census Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments, required by law, before it abruptly added the citizenship question last year. Secretary Ross has already suggested that the census data would be used for law enforcement purposes. "Congress expected that the Bureau would conduct a comprehensive privacy review early in the process, not as the census forms were heading to the printer or delivered to the post office," EPIC told the court. A federal court in New York recently blocked the citizenship question, but the Census Bureau has appealed that decision. EPIC filed an amicus brief in the New York case and has long advocated for robust protections for census data. EPIC has also filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's lawsuit that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained.

Census Bureau: 99 Percent of Commenters Oppose Citizenship Question » (Jan. 24, 2019)

According to a Census Bureau report, 99 percent of commenters who gave feedback on the 2020 Census are opposed to the planned addition of the citizenship question. The Bureau received more than 136,000 comments against the collection of citizenship data, many of which were signed by multiple individuals and organizations. EPIC filed comments opposing the citizenship question, arguing that it will interfere with the census's constitutional purpose and undermine the integrity of the census. EPIC is currently seeking a preliminary injunction to block the collection of citizenship data because the Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments required by law. The Court has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 8. EPIC's case is EPIC v. Commerce, No. 18-2711 (D.D.C.).

EPIC Seeks Injunction to Block Census Citizenship Question » (Jan. 18, 2019)

EPIC is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the Census Bureau from adding a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census. EPIC alleges that the Census Bureau failed to complete privacy impact assessments, required by law, before it abruptly added the question to the census last year. EPIC explained that the "extraordinary reach of the Bureau into the private lives of Americans brings with it extraordinary risks to privacy." A federal court in New York recently blocked the citizenship question, but the Census Bureau has appealed that decision. EPIC filed an amicus brief in the New York case and has long advocated for robust protections for census data. EPIC has also filed numerous successful lawsuits to require privacy impact assessments, including EPIC's lawsuit that led a now-defunct Presidential Commission to delete state voter data it unlawfully obtained.

NY Court Blocks Citizenship Question in 2020 Census » (Jan. 15, 2019)

A federal judge has ruled that the Secretary of Commerce's decision to add the citizenship question to 2020 Census was unlawful. EPIC filed an amicus brief in the case, arguing that "history has shown that personal data, collected by the government through the census, can threaten individual rights." EPIC has also sued the Department of Commerce (EPIC v. Commerce) because the agency failed to complete a Privacy Impact Assessment prior to collecting citizenship data. A 2004 EPIC FOIA lawsuit revealed that the Census Bureau provided DHS with data on Arab Americans after 9-11, leading the Census Bureau to revise its "sensitive data" policy for transfers to law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

EPIC Files Suit to Block Census Citizenship Question » (Nov. 20, 2018)

EPIC has filed a lawsuit to block the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. EPIC charged that the Census Bureau failed to complete multiple Privacy Impact Assessments, as required by law. The Bureau abruptly added the citizenship question earlier this year but did not assess the privacy impact on census respondents, who are legally obligated to answer all questions. As EPIC's lawsuit reveals, the Bureau recently indicated—for the first time—that personal data provided to the Census Bureau could be used "for criminal law enforcement activities." The Bureau's admission raises new questions about whether citizenship information will be transmitted to the Department of Justice. EPIC has filed numerous successful lawsuits seeking to enforce federal agencies' obligation to publish Privacy Impact Assessments. Earlier this year, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity was shut down after EPIC filed a lawsuit to block the collection of state voter data and challenging the Commission's failure to complete a Privacy Impact Assessment.

In Amicus Brief, EPIC Opposes Citizenship Question in 2020 Census » (Oct. 30, 2018)

EPIC has filed an amicus brief in a case challenging the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census. EPIC expressed support for the decennial tally of those in the US, but warned that, "history has shown that personal data, collected by the government through the census, can threaten individual rights." EPIC said that the Bureau failed to complete an updated Privacy Impact Assessment about the risk that personal data could be used for purposes unrelated to the census. In comments to the Census Bureau, EPIC opposed the citizenship question this year. EPIC also obtained Census Bureau documents in FOIA case, including email from Kris Kobach to Secretary Ross requesting the addition "on the direction of Steve Bannon." A 2004 EPIC FOIA lawsuit revealed that the Census Bureau had provided DHS with data on Arab Americans after 9-11, leading the Census Bureau to revise its "sensitive data" policy for transfers to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Former Directors of the Census Bureau also filed an amicus brief in New York et al. v. Department of Commerce, opposing the citizenship question.

EPIC Urges Removal of Citizenship Question on 2020 Census » (Oct. 3, 2018)

In advance of the nomination hearing for the Census director, EPIC has sent a statement to a Senate committee urging the Census Bureau to suspend the citizenship question in the 2020 Census until a Privacy Impact Assessment is conducted. The administration conceded that the question was added at the request of the Justice Department, but EPIC explained that census data should never be used for law enforcement because that would undermine the constitutional purpose and the integrity of the census. An earlier Privacy Impact Assessment preceded the addition of the citizenship question. EPIC said that assessment does not meet the agency standards and that the Census is required by law to conduct a revised assessment. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, EPIC obtained documents (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) concerning Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the citizenship question. The census raises significant privacy risks and was used to target Japanese-Americans for internment during World War II. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to DHS after 9-11. As a consequence of EPIC's lawsuit, the Census Bureau revised its policy on disclosing statistical information about "sensitive populations" to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. EPIC also opposed the addition of the citizenship question in recent comments to the U.S. Census Bureau.

EPIC Opposes Citizenship Question on 2020 Census » (Aug. 8, 2018)

In comments to the U.S. Census Bureau, EPIC opposed the agency's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The administration's stated purpose for the question is to assist the DOJ, but EPIC argued that census data should never be used for enforcement purposes because collecting data to enforce laws will interfere with the census's constitutional purpose and will undermine the integrity of the census. The Bureau earlier conducted a Privacy Impact Assessment for the census, but it did not acknowledge the privacy risks raised by the recently added citizenship question. EPIC said the assessment does not meet the Commerce Department's standards and that it is required to conduct a revised assessment, analyzing the privacy risks created by the citizenship question. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, EPIC obtained documents (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) concerning Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the citizenship question. The census raises significant privacy risks and was used to target Japanese-Americans for internment in World War II. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to DHS after 9-11. As a consequence of EPIC's lawsuit, the Census Bureau revised its policy on disclosing statistical information about "sensitive populations" to law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Legal Challenge to Citizenship Question on Census Moves Forward » (Jul. 27, 2018)

A federal judge ruled that lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's decision to add a question on citizenship status to the 2020 census could move forward. The court rejected the administration's claim that the plaintiffs lacked standing and ruled that it was "plausible" that the decision was motivated by racial animus and would result in a discriminatory effect on immigrant communities. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, EPIC obtained documents (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) considered by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to add the citizenship question. The census raises significant privacy risks and has been used to discriminate. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to DHS after 9-11.

EPIC FOIA: EPIC Obtains Documents About Decision to Add Census Citizenship Question » (Jun. 11, 2018)

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, EPIC has obtained documents (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) considered by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Following a request from the Department of Justice, the Census Bureau announced that it would ask about citizenship status for the first time in over 50 years. The documents obtained by EPIC, and others who made similar requests, reflect the varying opinions from lawmakers, scientists, and immigration groups about the proposal. The documents also reveal that Kris Kobach, former Vice Chair of the now-defunct Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, urged Secretary Ross "on the direction of Steve Bannon" to add the citizenship question. According to an analysis conducted by the Census Bureau, the impact of asking about citizenship would be "very costly, harms the quality of the census count, and would use substantially less accurate citizenship data than are available" from other government resources. In a FOIA case against DHS, EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to the Department of Homeland Security after 9-11. As a consequence, the Census Bureau revised its policy on sharing statistical information about "sensitive populations" with law enforcement or intelligence agencies.

EPIC Tells Congress to Consider Census Privacy Risks » (Jun. 8, 2018)

In advance of a hearing on the 2020 Census, EPIC told Congress to consider the privacy issues arising from potential misuse of Census data. After the Department of Commerce announced that the 2020 Census will include a question on citizenship status, many have expressed concerns about the confidentiality of the data collected. EPIC told Representatives: "your committee should ensure that the data collected by the federal government is not misused." The census raises significant privacy risks and has been used to discriminate. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to the Department of Homeland Security after 9-11. As a consequence, the Census Bureau revised its policy on disclosing statistical information about "sensitive populations" to law enforcement or intelligence agencies. Customs and Border Protection also changed its policy on requesting "information of a sensitive nature from the Census Bureau."

EPIC Tells Congress to Consider Census Privacy Risks » (May. 8, 2018)

In advance of a hearing on the 2020 Census, EPIC told Congress to consider the privacy issues arising from potential misuse of Census data. After the Department of Commerce announced that the 2020 Census will include a question on citizenship status, many have expressed concerns about the confidentiality of the data collected. EPIC told Representatives: "your committee should ensure that the data collected by the federal government is not misused." The census raises significant privacy risks and has been used to discriminate. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to the Department of Homeland Security after 9-11. As a consequence, the Census Bureau revised its policy on sharing statistical information about "sensitive populations" with law enforcement or intelligence agencies. Customs and Border Protection also changed its policy on requesting "information of a sensitive nature from the Census Bureau."

EPIC Tells Congress to Consider Census Privacy Risks » (Apr. 17, 2018)

In advance of a hearing on the Census Bureau, EPIC told Congress to consider the privacy issues arising from potential misuse of Census data. After the Department of Commerce announced that the 2020 Census will include a question on citizenship status, many have expressed concerns about the confidentiality of the data collected. EPIC told Representatives: "your committee should ensure that the data collected by the federal government is not misused." The census raises significant privacy risks and has been used to discriminate. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to the Department of Homeland Security after 9-11. As a consequence, the Census Bureau revised its policy on sharing statistical information about "sensitive populations" with law enforcement or intelligence agencies. Customs and Border Protection also changed its policy on requesting "information of a sensitive nature from the Census Bureau."

2020 US Census to Include Citizenship Question, Senators Introduce Bill to Block » (Mar. 27, 2018)

The Department of Commerce announced that the 2020 census will include a question on citizenship status. The decennial census has not included a citizenship question since 1950. Critics argue that the question will result in unreliable data collection and skew census results. Senator Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced S. 2580, a bill that would prohibit the census from including a citizenship question. Last week EPIC submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking documents on the Department's consideration of the many complicated issues related to the question. The census raises significant privacy risks. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to DHS after 9-11.

EPIC FOIAs Commerce Department about Citizenship Question on 2020 Census » (Mar. 22, 2018)

EPIC has submitted an urgent Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Commerce seeking information about a proposed citizenship question on the 2020 census. Secretary Wilbur Ross stated today that the Department of Commerce will make a decision as to whether to include the controversial question in the 2020 census by March 31. Secretary Ross also said, “there are probably 15 or 20 different very complicated issues involved in the request.” EPIC specifically requested information about these issues. The census raises significant privacy risks. EPIC previously obtained documents which revealed that the Census Bureau transferred the personal data of Muslim Americans to DHS after 9-11.

Background

The Citizenship Question

In order to determine the apportionment of representatives "among the several States," the Census Clause of the U.S. Constitution, as amended, requires that an "actual Enumeration" of persons be undertaken every ten years "in such Manner as [Congress] shall by Law direct." To implement the Census Clause, Congress has directed the Secretary of Commerce to "take a decennial census of population" and to "determine the inquiries, and the number, form, and subdivisions" of the questionnaires to be used in the Census. The Census Bureau will administer the next Census in 2020. By law, any person who refuses to answer "any of the questions . . . submitted to him in connection with any census"—or who willfully gives a false answer to a census question—is subject to criminal penalties.

On March 26, 2018, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross announced that he "ha[d] determined that reinstatement of a citizenship question on the 2020 decennial census [wa]s necessary" and that he was "directing the Census Bureau to place the citizenship question last on the decennial census form." No citizenship question appeared on the 2010 Census, nor has the Census Bureau posed a citizenship question to all census respondents since the 1950 Census. On March 28, 2018, the Census Bureau officially reported to Congress the Bureau's intention to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, phrased as follows:

Secretary Ross stated that the addition of the citizenship question was in response to a December 2017 request by the Department of Justice, which purportedly sought citizenship data to enable "more effective enforcement" of the Voting Rights Act. The DOJ's request raised alarm and opposition from members of the U.S. Senate, the attorneys general of at least twenty states, and numerous mayors from across the country. Moreover, Secretary Ross's explanation for his decision was at odds with his subsequent statement that he communicated with Chief White House strategist Steve Bannon and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach about the citizenship question months before the DOJ made a request.

The Privacy Implications of the Citizenship Question

Although the Census Bureau's collection of personally identifiable information carries inherent privacy risks, the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census posed a special threat to privacy, personal security, and the accuracy of the census. The citizenship question would compel the release of respondents' citizenship status (and potentially immigration status), which could in turn expose individuals and their family members to investigation, sanction, and deportation.

Secretary Ross's asserted basis for adding the citizenship question was to provide the DOJ with "census block level citizen voting age population ('CVAP') data,"—data that is susceptible to reidentification. The Bureau has indicated that census response data—including individuals' citizenship status information—may be transferred in "[b]ulk" to other federal agencies "[f]or criminal law enforcement activities. In a June 12, 2018 email exchange between DOJ officials, disclosed in the course of litigation against Secretary Ross, DOJ officials "privately discussed the possibility that in the future census information could be shared with law enforcement."

Historically, the misuse of census data has caused grave harm to certain populations. For example, the 1910 census law prohibited the use of information supplied by businesses for non-statistical, non-census purposes, but there was no such prohibition regarding individual citizen data. As a result, during World War I, the Census Bureau did in fact disclose census records to the Department of Justice and local draft boards to help enforce the draft. Similarly, in 1920, the Department of Justice requested census data about individuals’ citizenship for use in deportation cases. In 1930, Congress passed the census law that would become known as Title 13, which prohibited the Census Bureau from publishing any data identifying individuals. However, the Second War Powers Act weakened this restriction and permitted the Census Bureau in 1943 to provide the U.S. Secret Service with the names, addresses, occupations, and citizenship status of every Japanese American residing in the Washington, D.C. area. The Census Bureau also provided the War Department with census-block level data on Japanese Americans residing in western states to facilitate their internment.

In 2004, an EPIC Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request revealed that the Census Bureau had provided the Department of Homeland Security with a list of cities containing more than 1,000 Arab-American residents and a zip-code level breakdown of Arab-American populations throughout the United States, sorted by country of origin. While the Census Bureau and Customs and Border Protection revised their data request policies following EPIC’s FOIA case, many Americans remain justifiably fearful that their census responses will be used against them by other federal agencies, which can lead individuals to provide false or incomplete information.

The Government's Failure to Publish Required Privacy Impact Assessments

Under Section 208 of the E-Government Act of 2002, any agency that "initiat[es] a new collection of information that . . . will be collected, maintained, or disseminated using information technology" is required to complete a privacy impact assessment (PIA) before doing so. Specifically, the agency must "(i) conduct a privacy impact assessment; (ii) ensure the review of the privacy impact assessment by the Chief Information Officer, or equivalent official, as determined by the head of the agency; and (iii) if practicable, after completion of the review under clause (ii), make the privacy impact assessment publicly available through the website of the agency, publication in the Federal Register, or other means."

The aim of Congress in enacting the E-Government Act was “[t]o make the Federal Government more transparent and accountable” and “to ensure sufficient protections for the privacy of personal information[.]” Thus, a privacy impact assessment must be "commensurate with the size of the information system being assessed, the sensitivity of information that is in an identifiable form in that system, and the risk of harm from unauthorized release of that information." The PIA must specifically address "(I) what information is to be collected; (II) why the information is being collected; (III) the intended use of the agency of the information; (IV) with whom the information will be shared; (V) what notice or opportunities for consent would be provided to individuals regarding what information is collected and how that information is shared; [and] (VI) how the information will be secured."

Despite these explicit obligations under the E-Government Act, the Census Bureau and Department of Commerce failed to conduct any privacy impact assessment addressing the privacy risks of collecting citizenship status information. According to the Census Bureau, census response data is collected, maintained, and disseminated by at least five different IT systems: CEN05, CEN08, CEN11, CEN13, and CEN05. Yet none of the PIAs for these systems assessed the risks of collecting citizenship information, and three of the five failed to acknowledge that citizenship information would be collected at all. The Census Bureau and Commerce Department therefore unlawfully ignored the privacy harms caused by the citizenship question.

EPIC's Interest

EPIC has long highlighted the obligation of federal agencies to conduct and publish a privacy impact assessment before any new collection of personal data, and EPIC has brought numerous successful cases seeking the release of PIAs. In EPIC v. DHS, No. 11-2261 (D.D.C. filed Dec. 20, 2011), EPIC obtained a PIA and related records concerning a prior effort by the DHS to track social media users and journalists. In EPIC v. FBI, No. 14-1311 (D.D.C. filed Aug. 1, 2014), EPIC obtained unpublished PIAs from the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning facial recognition technology. And in EPIC v. DEA, No. 15-667 (D.D.C. filed May 1, 2015), EPIC learned that the Drug Enforcement Administration had failed to produce PIAs for the agency's license plate reader program, a telecommunications records database, and other systems of public surveillance.

More recently, in EPIC v. Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, No. 17-1320 (D.D.C. filed July 3, 2017), EPIC challenged the failure of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to undertake and publish a PIA prior to the collection of state voter data. EPIC's suit led the now-defunct Commission to suspend its data collection and later delete all of the voter information that had been illegally obtained. In EPIC v. DHS, No. 18-1268 (D.D.C. filed May 30, 2018), EPIC succeeding in blocking the development of a Department of Homeland Security system designed to monitor journalists.

EPIC has also been a longtime advocate of robust privacy protections for census respondents. EPIC was directly involved in the 2004 effort to revise the Census Bureau “sensitive data” policy after an EPIC FOIA lawsuit revealed that the DHS had acquired data on Arab Americans from the Census Bureau after 9/11. In formal comments to the Census Bureau and a statement to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, EPIC opposed the decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. And in October 2018, EPIC filed an amicus brief in New York v. Department of Commerce, a separate case challenging the citizenship question. EPIC explained the special privacy risks of collecting citizenship status information and highlighted the Census Bureau's failure to conduct an adequate privacy impact assessment. On January 15, 2019, the court in that case ruled that the decision to add the citizenship question was unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act and enjoined the government from including the question on the 2020 Census. On June 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that decision in part and kept the lower court's injunction in place, leading the administration to permanently withdraw the citizenship question from the census.