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Citizenship Census Question Triggers Another Lawsuit, This Time From Phoenix

The Phoenix City Council voted Tuesday to pursue a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Census Bureau's plan to include a question about citizenship status in the 2020 census.

The Phoenix City Council voted Tuesday to pursue a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Census Bureau's plan to include a question about citizenship status in the 2020 census.

The Trump administration's last-minute decision to reinstate a citizenship question in the census could hurt Arizona more than most states because of its large immigrant population. 

The federal government inquiring about citizenship status could dissuade immigrants from participating, leading to a sizable undercount of the state's population. That could affect Arizona's number of U.S. House seats, corresponding electoral votes in presidential elections and federal funding. 

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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