Karen Lugo of the Washington Examiner probes the debate over a single question in the upcoming U.S. census.
The 2020 Census intends to ask the question: Are you a U.S. citizen? The question is simply a matter of gathering data for determining congressional seats, distributing federal money, and protecting voting rights at the Justice Department.
Only citizens may vote in federal elections. But states that have offered a welcome mat to illegal immigrants use the headcount to gain powerful advantages in numbers of congressional districts, Electoral College sway, and federal spending.
Not surprisingly, the Left is kicking and screaming at having to reveal this secret weapon of political clout. As long ago as the 2000 Census, numbers revealed that over 18 million non-citizen persons were counted above the total number of citizens.
The advantaged states with the larger noncitizen estimates are able to leverage calculated power, and it’s at least worth knowing just how much. An analysis of Census 2000 data provided in 2005 by the Center for Immigration Studies revealed that about 70 percent of the noncitizens were located in just six states. Of these benefiting states, California gained six seats, where one in seven residents was a noncitizen. Three other seats went to New York, Texas, and Florida where one in 10 residents was a noncitizen.
The Electoral College is also affected by this. Congressional delegation districts determine the composition of the Electoral College.
