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Schneiderman sues administration over census question

Schneiderman announces the lawsuit at District Council 37 in New York City
ag.ny.gov
Schneiderman announces the lawsuit at District Council 37 in New York City
Schneiderman announces the lawsuit at District Council 37 in New York City
Credit ag.ny.gov
Schneiderman announces the lawsuit at District Council 37 in New York City

New York's attorney general is leading a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration over a decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census.

Eric Schneiderman joined a coalition of groups at a union hall in New York City to announce the suit.

He says the Census Bureau, dating back to 1980, has rejected the addition of the citizenship question, saying it would jeopardize the overall accuracy of the population count.

“In 2009, all eight former Directors of the Census Bureau under both Democratic and Republican presidents - affirmed that a citizenship question would depress participation and lead to a significant undercount, undermining the purpose of the Census,” he said.

Schneiderman says an undercount threatens billions in federal funding for New York and fair representation in Congress and the Electoral College.

A government spokesman did not immediately comment on the filing. 

The Justice Department has said it ``looks forward to defending the reinstatement of the citizenship question.''

Copyright 2018 WXXI News

Alex Crichton is host of All Things Considered on WXXI-AM 1370. Alex delivers local news, weather and traffic reports beginning at 4:00 p.m. each weekday.