A group of left-wing politicians from across the country assert that asking United States residents on the U.S. 2020 Census if they are citizens of the country would “violate the Constitution.”

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, — who will decide if the citizenship question is placed back onto the Census — Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado and 19 left-wing Attorney Generals from states such as New York, Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut are urging that residents not be asked if they are U.S. citizens or not on the 2020 Census.

Among the arguments made by the left-wing politicians is that asking residents if they are U.S. citizens would not only “violate the Constitution,” but it would harm “the states’ interests,” despite the move making it more concise and accurate for congressional districting purposes on how many citizens there are in each district, state, and the nation.

The state politicians write:

Adding a citizenship question at this late date would fatally undermine the accuracy of the 2020 Census, harming the states and our residents. The Justice Department’s request should be rejected because adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census would reduce participation and response rates, threatening the Census Bureau’s ability to comply with its obligations under the Constitution and harming the states’ interests. [Emphasis added]

The group of left-wing elected officials also claims that asking residents if they are U.S. citizens would not lead to a more “proportionate electoral representation in our democracy.” Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and other proponents of the citizenship question say the purpose of the question is to do just that. The politicians state: