Pete Buttigieg actually said...
Well, it sounds like a face-saving way to recognize that he's been on the wrong side of the law throughout. There are many number of ways to do research on issues like immigration, but tinkering with the census was clearly racially and politically motivated. It's why it was held to be unlawful by the courts.
Context
Buttigieg comments on President Trump's decision to back down from including a citizenship question on the census, calling it a recognition of being wrong.
07/10/2019