US NEXT CENSUS

A question about citizenship status will be included on the 2020 Census to help enforce the Voting Rights Act, federal officials said on Monday, but-

California sued to block the move arguing that it would discourage immigrants from participating.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross decided to add the question to the count after a Department of Justice request based on the desire for better enforcement, the US Department of Commerce said in a statement.

''Secretary Ross determined that obtaining complete and accurate information to meet this legitimate government purpose outweighed the limited potential adverse impacts,'' it said.

The census which is mandated under the U.S. Constitution and takes place every 10 years, counts every resident in the United States.

It is used to determine the allocation to states of seats in the US House of Representatives and to distribute billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities.

Opponents of a Census question about citizenship status say it could further discourage immigrants from participating in the count, especially when they are already fearful of how information could be used against them.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump tries to keep his campaign promise to build a border wall between Mexico and the United States and to crack down on illegal immigration [Agencies]