New York's attorney general said on Tuesday, cited by Reuters, that the 2020 US Census would begin printing forms that do not include the citizenship question.
An official in the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James told Reuters the US Justice Department had informed them that the census forms would exclude a citizenship question that the Trump administration sought.
The US Department of Justice confirmed later, cited by US-based media, that the 2020 Census printer has been instructed to begin the printing process without the citizenship question.
Here’s the email from DOJ pic.twitter.com/PdyfK0a1hJ
— Daniel Jacobson (@Dan_F_Jacobson) 2 July 2019
The US Constitution requires a census every 10 years to count every person in the United States, including citizens and non-citizens.
The Trump administration’s plan to add the citizenship question to the census was challenged earlier in court by several advocacy groups who claimed the move violated US voting rights laws.
Critics of the proposal claim the Trump administration is trying to intimidate non-US citizens and minority groups, which will lead to an under-representation.
Trump took to twitter later on Tuesday to express his disappointment that the US 2020 Census will not include a question of citizenship.
....to do whatever is necessary to bring this most vital of questions, and this very important case, to a successful conclusion. USA! USA! USA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 3 июля 2019 г.
The census is reportedly used to allocate funding for various federal programs and to apportion representation in Congress, the Electoral College, and within state legislatures.
White House officials have confirmed the decision to print 2020 Census forms without a citizenship question, according to Reuters.
