NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund v. United States Dep’t of Justice
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act to compel the Department of Justice to release documents related to its request to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
Note: The Brennan Center is not a participant in this case.
Summary
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act to compel the Department of Justice to release documents related to its request to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
Case Background
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) sued the United States Department of Justice under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to compel production of records concerning the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. On December 12, 2017, the Department of Justice formally requested the Commerce Department to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
The plaintiffs asked the court for injunctive and other appropriate relief to compel the Department of Justice to disclose the requested records.
On May 20, 2020, the court denied the defendants’ motion for summary judgment and granted the plaintiffs’ cross-motion for summary judgment. The Department of Justice is required to conduct an adequate search to identify records responsive to each of the plaintiff’s FOIA request.
On July 19, 2021, the case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice.
Documents
- Complaint (October 12, 2018)
- Answer (November 16, 2018)
- Initial Report of Parties Before Pretrial Conference (February 1, 2019)
- Memo Endorsement (February 11, 2019)
- Revised Scheduling Order (April 10, 2019)
- Motion for Summary Judgment (May 13, 2019)
- Plaintiffs’ Cross Motion for Summary Judgment (June 10, 2019)
- Memorandum of Law in Support of Plaintiffs’ Cross Motion for Summary Judgment (June 10, 2019)
- Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment and in Reply Supporting Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (July 8, 2019)
- Plaintiffs’ Reply in Support of its Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment (July 29, 2019)
- Letter (February 5, 2020)
- Opinion and Order (May 29, 2020)
- Memo Endorsement (June 30,2020)
- Joint Letter (August 31, 2020)
- Memo Endorsement (February 17, 2021)
- Joint Letter (June 11, 2021)
- Memo Endorsement (June 21, 2021)
- Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal with Prejudice (July 19, 2021)