California Urges Residents to ‘Resist’ Citizenship Question on U.S. Census in 2020

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is urging residents of California to “resist” the inclusion of a citizenship question on the U.S. Census in 2020 by submitting comments to the U.S. Census Bureau by the August 7 deadline.

On Tuesday, Padilla launched a new web portal, “All Californians Count,” through which residents are encouraged to send “feedback” to the federal government. Although the website does not take an explicit position on the citizenship question, it reminds users that the state is already suing the federal government over the issue, and adds: “A fair and accurate count will ensure that California is apportioned the appropriate number of congressional members as well as billions in funding.”

In February, Padilla declared: “California can’t afford to sit idly by while this administration sabotages the census. And we won’t. We will resist and we will win.” In March, he added: “The citizenship question is the latest attempt by President Trump to stoke the fires of anti-immigrant hostility. He’s demonized Mexicans, insulted Africans and Central Americans, discriminated against Muslims, and torn families apart with harsh deportation orders.”

Padilla took to Twitter on Tuesday to make his own feelings known:

We’re making sure #AllCaliforniansCount by launching an online portal to submit public comments opposing a citizenship question to the census. Let’s push back on this blatant effort by the Trump Administration to intimidate non-citizens from participating in the census. pic.twitter.com/Y5GYzJ1yCE

— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) July 31, 2018

We have until August 7th to speak out against the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census — a Trump administration’s blatant attempt to intimidate our diverse communities from participating.https://t.co/An00qJenUy

— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) August 1, 2018

Bay Area public radio station KQED reports that Padilla’s effort is being supported by “advocacy groups for immigrant, Muslim and other communities.”

California has a large population of non-citizens, including illegal aliens. Conservatives have argued that “sanctuary” states like California should not benefit from flouting federal law by receiving more federal funds or congressional seats. Liberals argue that “immigrants” — including legal immigrants — will be dissuaded from answering the Census if a citizenship question is included.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who filed a lawsuit against the citizenship question in March, told a federal court at the time: “California has more foreign-born residents (over 10 million) and non-citizens (over 5 million) than any other state.”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.