Trial begins over Census citizenship question

Source: CBS News/The AP



UPDATED ON: JANUARY 7, 2019 / 9:18 AM / AP

SAN FRANCISCO — A trial will begin Monday in federal court in San Francisco over the Trump administration's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Judge Richard Seeborg is scheduled to hear a week of testimony from experts and other witnesses. The judge will decide whether to allow the question.

Seeborg is presiding over lawsuits by California and numerous cities in the state that argue the citizenship question was politically motivated and would discourage immigrants and Latinos from participating in the Census.

The plaintiffs say that would result in an undercount that would jeopardize their federal funding and the state's representation in Congress. Data from the Census are used to determine the distribution of Congressional seats to states and billions of dollars in federal funding.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trial-begins-over-census-citizenship-question/