AKRON, Ohio - The addition of a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census could have far-reaching negative impacts on communities with large immigrant and low-income populations.

Akron City Council may soon be adding its voice to a growing national effort to have the the question, "Are you a U.S. citizen?" removed from the census.

A resolution opposing the new census question was introduced Monday by council members Russel Neal and Linda Omobien. Council members Marilyn Keith, Veronica Sims, Jeff Fusco and Tara Mosley-Samples asked for their names to be added as well.

Inclusion of the citizenship question could lead to a severe under count of residents, by keeping immigrants and lower-income residents from responding, according to opponents of the change.

The issue was raised at a recent National League of Cities meeting in Washington D.C., in which local communities were urged to speak out against the census change, Neal said.

Census data informs public health, employment, education and infrastructure policies and provisions locally and nationally. Federal and state funding for cities is informed by population levels and congressional districts are drawn based on population.

According to the Population Association of America, the census, which is counted every decade, determines the allocation each year of about $600 billion in federal funding.

For Akron, where about 50 percent of residents live below the federal poverty standards, under-representation of such populations could lead to further funding cuts in a city that's already struggling, according to many Akron officials.

"We're sitting here talking about potholes. You won't have the money to fund bridges or fund a lot of the infrastructure that is in need of repair right now," Neal said. "Lower-income communities are sometimes more cautious to fill out information like that. Even legally documented immigrants will steer away from checking that box because of climate set by this administration."

Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said there have been problems for years getting people to fill out the census. But under-counting residents doesn't help cities, which have to provide services like trash pick-up for the entire population.

"The best count we can get really does help us figure out what's next and it doesn't cause us problems with the feds," she said. Akron has already been close to losing federal funding because of low population.

"If we slip too far we will not be eligible for some federal money," she said.

Akron and Summit County have declared the county a "welcoming community," which means government, business and nonprofits work to create inclusive policies and practices that make refugees and immigrants feel welcome here, and to help them prosper.

On the national stage, aggressive immigration enforcement and an increase in deportations have frightened people who are already hesitant to give out personal information.

"The challenge is going to be getting people to trust whoever comes to the door," Neal said.

The U.S. Department of Justice asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to add the citizenship question to the census to help with enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, according to a news release issued by the Department of Commerce.

Mosley-Samples pointed out that the reason the citizenship question is more about immigrants than the Voting Rights Act, because non-citizens in the U.S. can't vote.

"We need to keep that in mind while we're having our dialogue," she said. "It concerns me greatly when we have people already living in the shadows," she said.

Keith also expressed distrust.

"Adding this means that [immigrants] won't fill this out and the results are going to be skewed, hurting the city," Keith said. "There's no doubt in my mind that it's going to be used in a negative way."

Council members Donny Kammer and Bob Hoch said they have more questions about the legislation, which was tabled until next Monday, April 9.

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