This is your basic big deal. The Commerce Department announced late yesterday that it would add a question about citizenship to the next census in 2020. Just for context, that question hasn’t been asked since 1950, according to NPR.
The New York Times reports the decision could lead to a huge undercount.
- “Critics of the change and experts in the Census Bureau itself have said that, amid a fiery immigration debate, the inclusion of a citizenship question could prompt immigrants who are in the country illegally not to respond. “
- “That would result in a severe undercount of the population — and, in turn, faulty data for government agencies and outside groups that rely on the census. The effects would also bleed into the redistricting of the House and state legislatures in the next decade.”
The move drew a swift response. California announced it would sue the Trump administration.
California to sue Trump over citizenship question on 2020 census https://t.co/SdQvxUTHfW pic.twitter.com/mOveevvh1b
— The Hill (@thehill) March 27, 2018
Barack Obama’s attorney general announced he too would be filing legal action on behalf of The National Democratic Redistricting Committee:
Constitution does not require citizenship question. This is purely political. Trump Administration is trying to rig the 2020 Census (to protect gerrymandering) by intimidating people. Don’t be fooled-some states will unfairly lose funds and representation. We will sue. https://t.co/2R3mZ0FQSp
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) March 27, 2018