Latino Community, State Leaders Condemn Proposed Census Citizenship Question

AUSTIN — Latino advocates and lawmakers called on Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday to reject the proposed census citizenship question and join other states in suing the federal government.The U.S. Census, conducted once every 10 years, is supposed to count everyone who lives in the United States for purposes such as allocating congressional seats and distributing federal funds. The census bureau also conducts the annual American Community Survey, gathering more information than it asks for on the regular census.At a news conference Wednesday, Rep. Cesar Blanco criticized the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to ask people for their citizenship status on census forms. The problem isn’t partisan, it’s policy, he said. Texas received $43 billion from federal funds in 2015 based on census-guided data and stands to lose up three congressional seats if the state’s population isn’t accurately counted.“Texas has one of the largest immigrant populations in the country and Texas stands to lose big,” the El Paso Democrat said. “If Texas is undercounted, the bottom line is Texas loses. Our businesses lose, our communities lose, our families lose. This isn’t about politics. This is about getting Texas its fair share of resources.”  Continue reading...