Director of the Census Bureau Stepping Down After Outcry Over Immigrant Count
Steven Dillingham, the director of the Census Bureau, is stepping down from his post on Wednesday following calls for his resignation from key Democratic lawmakers.
“Effective January 20, 2021, I will be retiring from my position as director of the U.S. Census Bureau,” Dillingham said in a letter sent to Census Bureau staff, which was published by the bureau. “I have a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart for all you have done for our Nation.”
Dillingham, who was appointed to lead the agency by President Donald Trump in early 2019 and confirmed by a voice vote in the Senate, was not set to leave the post until the end of this year.
Pressure has been mounting on Dillingham and the bureau, following the Commerce Department Office of Inspector General’s sending a memo last week alleging that he was pressuring bureau employees to rush a technical data report on the number of unauthorized immigrants in the country. After the OIG memo was made public, Dillingham said in a letter that he ordered those involved to “stand down” on that technical report.
