Commonwealth Policy Center

Should the government ask about citizenship status on the U.S. Census? The U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t think so. They struck down the question that asked, “are you a legal U.S. citizen,” proposed by President Trump to be included in the 2020 Census. In response, Pres. Trump told his administration to delay the Census. Trump tweeted “Can anyone really believe that as a great Country, we are not able [to] ask whether or not someone is a Citizen. Only in America!” The frustration is obvious. Not just for the president but for most Americans who believe it’s perfectly reasonable to know who is here legally and who is here illegally. The census asks all kinds of questions including education, employment and income. Critics wonder why the government wouldn’t want to know citizenship.