Georgia opted against Census Bureau request for citizenship information

ATLANTA — As a fresh battle over census data ensues in federal court, records show Georgia’s driving agency opted against providing the Census Bureau with citizenship information on Georgia residents.

It’s a move census advocates applaud, as they combat myths about how the bureau can use individuals' information in the head count.

“That is a prime example of our state putting its citizens and Georgians first and thinking of our protections,” said Destiny Collins, a lead 2020 Census organizer with the nonprofit, Georgia StandUP.

Records show the request to Georgia was made last fall, as President Donald Trump’s administration sought citizenship records from individual states. The administration turned to state driving agencies for the information after losing a federal court battle to include the citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr filed for records in each state to see how the request was handled.

Emails from the Georgia Department of Drivers Services show the Census Bureau reached out in September 2019, requesting DDS to participate in a data collection project.

The request included data from driver’s licenses, identification cards and junior driver’s licenses to “support several initiatives towards the Census Bureau’s goals for increasing the accuracy of decennial count.”

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Specifically, the bureau sought race, eye color, birth date, ID and license numbers and issues dates, sex, eye color and citizenship status.

It added that the Census Bureau could not release raw data to be used against individuals.

Initially, DDS Commissioner Stephen Moore responded by saying Georgia DDS would be happy to assist in the accuracy of the decennial count and would run the request through the department.

Weeks later, Moore followed up.

“As indicated, Georgia is happy to participate in this project,” he wrote. “However, the level of participation is in current review with our Legal Counsel’s Office. This review obviously requires assurance that the DDS is also in compliance with state law when it comes to sharing data.”

By late October, DDS declined to offer data outside of what’s already made public on a state driving summary website. Georgia declined to offer citizenship information.

“After meeting with the DDS Executives and the DDS legal team, Georgia is able to provide aggregate data on our drivers. I have attached the latest monthly report that you can also find on our public web site. This monthly report is also available on our public web site for the past few years,” wrote Jeff Smith, chief information officer for GA DDS.

Georgia joined 13 other states in denying the request, citing legal and privacy concerns. Seventeen states told Channel 2 they’d never received the request. Seven states did not respond to the bureau’s request, and just four states — Iowa, Nebraska, South Carolina and South Dakota — agreed to offer the information.

Efforts to gather the information through other federal and state agencies have continued. This week, the Trump administration turned to the Supreme Court, appealing another ruling that blocks the Commerce Department from giving the president the number of people living in the U.S. illegally. It will go along with the department’s state-by-state population breakdown. That breakdown is used to determine Congressional seats.

In 2015, GOP strategist Thomas Hofeller argued in a study that adding the Census Bureau’s citizenship question could change redistricting maps and be “advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites.” The study has been used in federal court filings arguing against the collection of census citizenship data through the count.

Collins said her group is still hearing from Atlanta-area residents who have blown off the importance of the census or have been skeptical of how the basic information is used.

With the deadline looming, Georgia StandUP is stressing how public transportation and other critical resources will be determined by participation in the census, which dictates fund distribution.

This month, Gov. Brian Kemp made a few public pushes for census participation, as Georgia stands to be one of the most undercounted states.

“If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense,” said Collins, who adds a note about the legal obligation to fill out the census. “So each person that is undercounted — that’s a loss of $2,300.”

“We want you to know you are safe. You are protected,” added Collins. “This is where you chose to build a home. This is where you chose to settle roots, build a community.”

Georgia ranks 46th in census reporting, could be at risk for losing a congressional seat

Cox Media Group