Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday described how the raids will, in part, influence the U.S. census — "an extension of who we are as a democracy." | Carlos Osorio/AP Photo 2020 Elections Kamala Harris: Immigration raids will distort 2020 census

Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris decried recent immigration raids as part of the Trump administration's "campaign of terror" that will distort the upcoming 2020 census.

“This administration has directed DHS to conduct these raids as part of what I believe is this administration's campaign of terror, which is to make whole — whole populations of people afraid to go to work," the Californian told NBC's Chuck Todd.


U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided seven Mississippi food-processing plants last week, arresting 680 workers in the agency's largest raid in a decade.

Harris, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, described children and parents who are afraid ahead of the 2020 census in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday.

"We do this census every 10 years in America," she said. "We make decisions about everything from electoral lines to where we're going to put resources.“

Harris added that there are multigenerational households that include both documented and undocumented people throughout the United States.

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"When that census-taker comes knocking at that door, they're not going to answer the door," she said. "And I know this administration knows that."

President Donald Trump on Friday defended the raids in Mississippi, calling them “a very good deterrent."

"I want people to know that if they come into the United States illegally, they're getting out — they're going to be brought out," Trump said. "And this serves as a very good deterrent. If people come into our country illegally, they're going out."

But Harris on Sunday described how the raids will, in part, influence the census — "an extension of who we are as a democracy."

"We say, 'Every person matters. We count,'" Harris said. "We make decisions based on who's here and what they need. And you and I will both suffer if that census count is flawed.

"And I'm telling you that, given the policies of this administration, that is going to be a flawed census."