WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Congressman Clay Higgins (R-La.) applauded the Commerce Department for including a question on United States citizenship and immigration status in the 2020 Census.
Sen. Kennedy introduced an amendment to H.R. 2579, the Broader Options for Americans Act, to assess the effectiveness and enforcement of the Immigration and Nationality Act and add a citizenship status question in the national census. Additionally, Congressman Higgins has been working to gather more accurate information on the number of U.S. citizens residing in the country by introducing an amendment to the FY 2018 Appropriations Process to require a question of citizenship in the census.
“We haven’t asked everyone in the U.S. whether they’re a citizen since 1950. This question is long overdue, and it belongs on the 2020 Census,” said Sen. Kennedy. “A Census isn’t just a simple count of every man, woman and child. It delves into economics, geography and other demographics. It certainly should be able to tell the story of our nation’s citizenship.”
“Washington has failed to enforce existing immigration law for too long. Adding a citizenship question to the U.S. Census is common sense. Americans deserve to know how many citizens versus non-citizens are residing in our country,” said Congressman Higgins. “This data will allow frontline defenders at the Department of Homeland Security to better target visa overstays, crack down on sanctuary policies, and address border security. I introduced a similar measure in the House last year, and I’m glad to see President Trump and his administration taking action to reform our broken immigration system.”
