Third Federal Judge Says Citizenship Question Can’t Be Added to 2020 Census

Heather Curtis
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON (WMAL) – Another federal judge has dealt a blow to the Trump administration’s plans to add a question to the 2020 census asking people to list their citizenship status. A federal judge in Greenbelt ruled Friday the Trump administration can’t add a question to the 2020 census asking people whether they are citizens or not.

U.S. District Judge George Hazel said the question is arbitrary and capricious and could discourage Hispanics and people who aren’t citizens from filling out the census.

Judges in New York and California have made similar rulings. The Justice Department’s appealing the New York judge’s decision. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in that case later this month.

The census hasn’t had a citizenship question on it since 1950.