Although the Trump administration dropped a citizenship question from this year’s census, minority groups told the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Thursday that the question’s specter has haunted preparations for a national count that could miss millions of residents.

John Yang, president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, called the citizenship question a “five-alarm fire” for groups working with immigrants. He said lingering fear could potentially reduce immigrant participation in a count that will determine the distribution of 435 congressional seats and influence the flow of $1.5 trillion in federal funds annually. Census operations formally begin later this month, and Yang and other committee witnesses said the agency has not done enough to counter the damage caused by the debate.

“This is the census we are talking about, trying to determine the population of the United States and anything that takes away from that should not be part of the mission,” Yang said. “The fact that this question was introduced has caused damage to these communities.”

Controversy over the question has added to concern by Democrats over the administration’s conduct of the census. Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., said the agency has not addressed issues ranging from citizenship question fears to preparations for its internet portal. She said Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham will participate in another hearing scheduled Feb. 12.

“We are forced to ask whether the failure to address these concerns is incompetence or intentional,” Maloney said.