The US will reinstate a question about citizenship status for its 2020 Census
The U.S. Commerce Department announced on Monday that a question about citizenship status will be reinstated on the 2020 Census to help enforce the Voting Rights Act.
The decision by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross follows a request by the Justice Department to add the question, according to the statement.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and State Secretary Alex Padilla railed against the decision in an opinion column published by The San Francisco Chronicle: "Including a citizenship question on the 2020 census is not just a bad idea - it is illegal."
"The politicization of the 2020 census must stop now," the column continued.
Here's the full statement from the Commerce Department:
(Reporting by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Eric Meijer)