We should ask about citizenship in Census

FACEBOOK USA TODAY OPINION

The Trump administration’s decision to ask people about their citizenship in the 2020 Census set off worries that immigrants will dodge answering the form altogether.

The Census Bureau conducts a survey every year and it asks questions about citizenship, yet it’s somehow a bad idea to ask the same question as part of the 10-year Census?

Tom Ponmalayil

The Census Bureau does other surveys in between conducting the 10-year census. The 10-year Census is not a survey. That is, no “weighing” no “correcting.” The Census Bureau has not asked a citizenship question on the Census since 1950. Robert Earle

If you are legal, why would the question bother you? Gary Headrick

The Census is designed to measure a wide variety of political, social and economic variables that are used in a wide array of means, including the realignment of congressional seats and the distribution of federal funds for health, education and welfare. And those benefits should be designed to be distributed among U.S. citizens, not undocumented immigrants. John Everhard

Only U.S. citizens get representation, not undocumented immigrants.

Dave McKenzie

The Census has also been used to allocate federal resources. It’s critical to know how many citizens are in each state.

Blue states were able to portray greater need of resources due to the blending of legal and illegal immigrants. Looks like the blue states are going to have to start picking up the tab for their misguided liberal policies.

Richard McElrath