New York Launches Lawsuit to Remove Citizenship Query From US Census

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - New York State has responded to plans by the US Department of Commerce to include a question on citizenship in the 2020 Census with plans for a multi-state lawsuit to block the query, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a press release on Tuesday.

"By demanding to know the citizenship status of each resident counted [the Census] will create an environment of fear and distrust in immigrant communities that would make impossible both an accurate census and the fair distribution of federal tax dollars," Schneiderman said.

On Monday, the Commerce Department announced plans to include a question on citizenship in forms that will be mailed to millions of American households as part of the 2020 US Census.

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Tuesday’s release disclosed plans by New York State to lead a multi-state lawsuit to "preserve a fair and accurate Census."

Critics have charged that the Census is supposed to count all US residents, including illegal aliens, who are believed less likely to respond to forms in the mail that include a citizenship question.

The US state of California has already filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the decision to add a question about citizenship in the 2020 Census violates the US Constitution.