By Daniel González and Maria Polletta | The Republic
A last-minute decision by the Trump administration to reinstate a citizenship question in the 2020 census could hurt Arizona more than most states because of its large immigrant population.
Immigrant households in Arizona are already wary of taking part in the census, critics say, the result of the state’s efforts to drive out undocumented immigrants through laws such as Senate Bill 1070, and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s worksite raids and neighborhood sweeps.
The federal government inquiring about citizenship status as part of its official decennial count could further dissuade immigrants from participating, leading to a sizable undercount of the state’s population.
The consequences could be significant and lasting.
