Citizenship and the Census

Last March, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross forwarded to Congress a list of proposed questions to be included in the United States 2020 census, including an item asking respondents about their citizenship status. The item was inserted into the census questionnaire in response to a letter from the Department of Justice asserting that citizenship information was needed to facilitate enforcement of the Voting Rights Act's districting provisions. The Census Bureau also says on its website that information about the distribution of citizens and noncitizens is of interest to policymakers, researchers, and advocacy groups. In addition to the citizenship question, the census questionnaire will also include items regarding age, race, gender, ethnicity, marital status, and homeownership.