Ferguson To Sue Trump Over Census Citizenship Question

SEATTLE, WA - Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Tuesday he will join a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from adding a question about citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census.

The U.S. Department of Justice requested the U.S. Department of Commerce add the question. The justice department said the question is needed to better enforce the Voting Rights Act. The addition of the question was announced Monday morning.

Ferguson said the question might intimidate undocumented Washington residents, which would result in an inaccurate Census count. The federal government uses Census results to add or subtract congressional districts.

"The Census Bureau’s own research reveals asking people about their citizenship status could significantly undermine its Constitutional mandate: an accurate count of everyone in the United States, regardless of immigration status. If Washington state’s large immigrant population isn’t accurately counted, the impact on our Congressional representation and billions of dollars in federal funds our state receives could be jeopardized,” Ferguson said.

The White House says the addition of the question is routine because it is included in the annual American Community Survey, which only a fraction of Americans fill out. The last time a citizenship question was included on a decennial Census since 1950.

Ferguson has filed or joined more than 10 suits against the Trump administration since last February. Ferguson's first lawsuit successfully stopped the Trump administration's travel ban.

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