03-30-2018, 03:01 PM
(03-30-2018, 02:29 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: It will only ask the citizen question. Immigrants already don't respond to the census for fear of persecution based on their status, by adding the citizenship question it will reduce the response rate of both legal and illegal residents. The point of the census, constitutionally, is not for information on those people in the area. It is only for a headcount.
I completely understand your point and the information you're providing. My counter is that anyone choosing to opt out of the census is making the choice for themselves. On its own it is an innocuous question, especially as it does not make a distinction between the legal status of the person's residency. While I certainly agree with you that this may prevent people from answering the census out of fear I do not see a legal basis for challenging it. You can't even use the arguments cited against voter ID laws, that they cost money and therefore amount to a poll tax, as the census costs nothing to complete or submit.
