Day 2 of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) convention is underway, and a hot topic of conversation was the citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
Early Thursday afternoon, President Trump announced he would take executive action to include the question on the next Census.
LULAC President Domingo Garcia said his organization planned to take action of its own.
"As soon as he signs the order, we are going to sue him," said Garcia.
Trump issued an executive order Thursday directing the Commerce Department to obtain citizenship data through means other than the U.S. Census, dropping a controversial plan to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census after the Supreme Court blocked it.
Trump repeatedly said in Rose Garden remarks that he's not backing away from attempting a count of U.S. citizens but acknowledged legal setbacks in inserting a citizenship question on the nationwide population survey.
"We are not backing down on our effort to determine the citizenship status of the U.S. population," Trump said in laying out a plan to issue an executive order asking U.S. departments and agencies to find ways to determine a head count of citizens.
Trump said agencies would be required to provide the Commerce Department with documents and records of citizens and non-citizens, which he said would help provide an accurate picture of U.S. citizenship.
Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro had harsh words about the back-and-forth.
"This is more evidence of how erratic the president is," said Castro.
Some LULAC attendees believe the president's action was a ploy for media attention.
"It’s all a publicity game," said Adolfo Gonzales.
