LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) - A question to be added to the 2020 census form might have some non-U.S. citizens worried.
FOX 47's Alani Letang talked with people about the question that hasn't been asked since 1950.
That question is are you a citizen or not? John Roy Castillo has worked on legal matters within the immigrant community. He said legally the census has nothing to do with a person citizenship.
"The Consitution doesn't say only US citizens, it says the people should be counted," said John Roy Castillo, former president of the National Hispanic Bar Association.
John Roy Castillo is also a personal lawyer, he told Letang that today more than ever, some people don't trust the government enough to answer a question about their citizenship.
"Who knows what the motives are to leak, especially nowadays when everything is leaked, this type of information and it has happened," said Castillo.
Castillo said the citizenship question is discriminatory, but others said it's necessary.
"It is important that we're able to count citizens of a voting age population and the key word there are citizens," said Chris Wilson, a Republican strategist.
Immigration activists are worried the question will cause people to not fill out the census form. And when states and cities are undercounted they lose out on funding and political representation.
"And there will be more injustice, as a result. I think it's another plow for people in power to marginalize a lot of people in this country," said Father Fred Thelen, Pastor at Cristo Rey Church in Lansing.
Fr. Thelen said he believes people should answer everything but that specific question.
We don't know if the federal government would count an incomplete form. There's still a lot to be sorted out between now and 2020.
At least one lawsuit has been filed over the citizenship question. We'll let you know when a judge rules on it.
