“Are you a U.S. citizen?” The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot include that question on the 2020 census, even though the Trump administration wanted to add it. However, the administration is still trying to get as much citizenship data as possible, and the controversy over whether to add this question could still affect the way undocumented immigrants answer the census. Listen to hear about the controversy over adding a citizenship question to the census and where it stands.
Story Length: 3:55
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October 9, 2018
3:44
The process of becoming a legal U.S. citizen has been lengthening for years, but the backlog in citizenship applications has increased significantly during the Trump administration, which is concerning to immigrant advocates. People applying for citizenship must fill out a written application, take a citizenship test, and be interviewed, and each of those steps takes longer now. Listen to hear about recent changes in the citizenship application process and timeline and how they are viewed by various participants in the process.
Read MoreApril 9, 2018
4:07
Every ten years the U.S. Census Bureau aims to count every person living in the United States, and the next census begins on April 1, 2020. Data from the census directly affects how billions of dollars in federal and state aid are allocated to local and state governments. When the questions were initially approved and released, they included the question: Is this person a citizen of the United States? Some states expressed fears about how this question would affect the response rate, which would impact their state budgets. Listen to hear more about the proposed changes to the 2020 census questions.
Update: Since this story was published, it was decided that the citizenship question would not be included on the 2020 U.S. Census form, after the Supreme Court ruled against it.
Read MoreSeptember 15, 2017
3:18
A city in Maryland is debating whether to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections and cast ballots for mayor and other city officials. This is happening at a time when other places around the country are imposing voter restrictions and a federal commission is focusing on voter fraud. Council Member Christine Nagle sponsored this voting measure to include long-term residents of her community in the decision-making process of town governments. Listen to this story and then debate: Should non-citizens be allowed to vote in local elections?
Read MoreApril 14, 2017
2:55
The U.S. Census Bureau is set to announce the proposed questions for the 2020 census. Many are concerned that under the Trump administration, Latinos will be less likely to respond for fear that immigration enforcement will use their answers against the Latino community. As a result, these communities may be undercounted, leading to less political representation and federal funding for these areas. Listen to learn more about the concerns around the politicization of the U.S. Census.
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