Census Citizenship Question Still Not Decided

Cities fear federal funding cuts if the citizen question stays on the Census and results in an undercount of Latino populations.

2 minute read

February 1, 2019, 10:00 AM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Federal Building

Hayk_Shalunts / Shutterstock

The Trump administration's attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census has made a hard job harder for cities. Hard-to-count populations from recent immigrants may be less likely to want to fill out census forms if they think they will be asked to prove they are citizens. Not counting these people would have huge consequences for political representation and federal dollars. “The census determines how some $800 billion in federal spending is divided every year between funds for transportation, aid for housing and healthcare, and more,” Kriston Capps reports for CityLab.

Whether or not the question will appear remains an open question, while a district court found many "administrative law violations by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross," Capps reports, this is not the last legal word on the matter. "Whether the 2020 count features a question about citizenship will likely fall to the U.S. Supreme Court—maybe even before an appeals court takes up the case, if the Department of Justice gets its way," Capps reports.

For majority Latino communities this could mean disinvestment on a massive scale. "For James Diossa, the young Latino mayor of Central Falls, Rhode Island—a Providence suburb of 19,000 residents with a Latinx population upward of 70 percent—anxiety over the 2020 census is far from abstract," Capps writes. Mayors are looking for ways to help a program federal administrators seem dead set on sabotaging.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of white panel at top of school bus with "100% electric" black text.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation

California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

6 hours ago - California Air Resources Board

Aerial view of Freeway Park cap park over I-5 interstate freeway in Seattle, Washington at night.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

"No Thru Traffic - Open Streets Restaurants" sign in New York City during Covid-19 pandemic.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street

How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.

April 30 - Next City