2020 Census Omits Citizenship Question, Win for Democrats

The 2020 Census in the United States began yesterday, on January 21. The census is required by the Constitution, and is used, among many things, for determining representation in federal government. The Trump administration has been trying to reinstate a citizenship question within the census. Liberal critics have been pushing back through lawsuits, which continue in court. Since these are still in court, the citizenship question will likely not be on the census forms sent out this year. The census will offer assistance in 58 foreign languages.

The Trump administration wanted the citizenship question on the census because while non-citizen legal residents and illegal aliens cannot technically vote, counting them in the census inflates the population level and artificially boosts the congressional representation. A study from the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that up to three House seats will be removed from red states as a result of this year’s census. In a funny twist, it’s also estimated that red states will have net gains on seat changes due to the fact that citizens are fleeing the poor living conditions of blue states.

This may be a bland and boring subject, but it matters in the grand scheme of politics. When Democrats are allowed to advance their political goals through encouraging illegal immigration, refugee resettlement and altering census questions, it puts conservatives and Republicans at further risk of an electoral winter. These battles are worth fighting.

PC: PRI.