5 Dem senators ask administration not to include citizenship question on census

Five Democratic Senators asked the Trump administration on Friday to reject a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census. 

"The inclusion of a question on citizenship threatens to undermine the accuracy of the Census as a whole, and given this administration’s rhetoric and actions relating to immigrants and minority groups, the DOJ request is deeply troubling," the senators wrote in a letter addressed to Commerce Secretary Wilbur RossWilbur Louis RossCNN: Trump searching for Woodward sources in White House HHS should look into Azar's close ties to the drug industry Woodward book rocks Trump White House MORE. 

Signatories include Democratic Sens. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinDems switch tactics on second day of hearings Overnight Health Care: Judge presses ObamaCare supporters during arguments | Kavanaugh says Roe v. Wade has been 'reaffirmed many times' | Dems hold up opioids bill Victim's father: ‘Stop weaponizing Parkland’ in Kavanaugh hearing MORE (Calif.), Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisInsurgency shakes up Democratic establishment Budowsky: Female GOP senators can destroy Roe v. Wade Election Countdown: Fallout from Massachusetts stunner | In Delaware, Carper looks to avoid next progressive upset | Dem 2020 primary already in full swing | How a Dem ex-governor hopes to take red-state Tennessee | GOP challengers hit Dems over tax votes MORE (Calif.), Tom CarperThomas (Tom) Richard CarperInsurgency shakes up Democratic establishment Election Countdown: Fallout from Massachusetts stunner | In Delaware, Carper looks to avoid next progressive upset | Dem 2020 primary already in full swing | How a Dem ex-governor hopes to take red-state Tennessee | GOP challengers hit Dems over tax votes Election Countdown: Stunning upset in Florida Dem primary for governor | DeSantis under fire for 'monkey this up' remark | Arizona gov faces pressure over McCain replacement | Koch group pours M into Senate ads MORE (Del.), Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzLive coverage: Trump's court pick presents his case at contentious hearing Trump to tap current EPA official for chemical safety office: report Overnight Defense: Trump says 'no reason' for South Korea war games right now | Mattis tries to clear confusion | Arizona begins remembrances for McCain | Inhofe poised to take Armed Services gavel MORE (Hawaii) and Catherine Cortez MastoCatherine Marie Cortez MastoTen years later: Wounds run deep from 2008 crash Attorneys general races in spotlight as parties build bench, fight feds Senate panel narrowly approves Trump consumer bureau pick MORE (Nev.)

The letter went on to say the question could depress census turnout due to fear the government could use the information against participants. 

"This chilling effect could lead to broad inaccuracies across the board, from how congressional districts are drawn to how government funds are distributed," the letter reads. 

"Rather than preserve civil rights, as the Justice Department claims, a question on citizenship in the decennial census would very likely hinder a full and accurate accounting of this nation’s population."

The letter comes after reports surfaced late last month that the DOJ had asked the Census Bureau to include the question on the 2020 Census.

A spokesperson for the Census Bureau said the “request will go through the well-established process that any potential question would go through.”

Speculation had swirled in recent months that the Trump administration was planning to include an immigration-related question in the census.