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PolitiFact Wisconsin: 2020 Census Citizenship Question

Posted at 8:01 PM, Apr 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-04 21:01:16-04

Get ready: The 2020 census survey questions are set and one question on it is generating a lot of debate. 

PolitiFact Wisconsin looks at the citizenship question and if it passes the Truth-O-Meter.  

Every decade the census bureau asks citizens a series of questions. One question this time around about citizenship has some asking why?

But the chair of the Republican National Committee Ronna Romney McDaniel slammed opposition to that question.

"McDaniel's says for years even for decades the US Census Bureau and its surveys has asked questions about citizenship," said Tom Kertscher with the  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

PolitiFact Wisconsin reports, immigrant-rights advocates and Democrats argue that the question instills fear in immigrant communities and will lead to an undercount of the population. 

They worry some people won't fill out the form which could have big financial consequences.

"The concerns about asking all households about citizenship is that non-citizens might be afraid to answer the survey," said Kertscher. "And that in turn could lead to reducing federal funding for states or even fewer congressional seats."

PolitiFact Wisconsin says the last time all households were asked about U.S. citizenship was in the 1950 census.

However in the decades since then in almost every census there has been a question about citizenship and in recent years even in annual surveys the census has also asked about citizenship," said Kertscher.

PolitiFact Wisconsin rated McDaniel's claim Mostly True.