AUSTIN — Texas Latino groups sued the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday in an attempt to strike a controversial citizenship question from the 2020 census.

In the suit, plaintiffs ask the court to determine if the question violates the constitutional equal protection clause and to bar the federal agency from putting it on the census.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, known as MALDEF, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on behalf of La Unión del Pueblo Entero, the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus and several other plaintiffs across the country.

Rep. Rafael Anchia, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' decision in March to add a citizenship question to the census — which is conducted every 10 years — will jeopardize Texans from getting their "fair share of hard earned tax dollars."

"Billions of dollars utilized to fund our neighborhood schools, provide critical health care services, prepare our communities for natural disasters, and upgrade roads and infrastructure are at risk," the Dallas Democrat said in a prepared statement. "We are disappointed that the Trump administration is putting politics before what's best for Texans."

The lawsuit claims the citizenship question violates the equal protection clause guaranteed by the Constitution "because it is motivated by racial animus towards Latinos, Asian Americans, and animus towards non-U.S. citizens and foreign-born persons."

La Unión del Pueblo Entero, a community organization in the Rio Grande Valley, has reported an increase in phone calls regarding the citizenship question, according to the lawsuit. The Latino organizations fear an undercount in Texas, which would impact how much federal funding the state receives.

Latino advocates and politicians argue that the question intimidates undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., and they estimate that asking it could jeopardize $43 billion in federal funds and up to three congressional seats allocated to Texas.

North Texas has the country's fourth-largest unauthorized immigrant population behind the New York, Los Angeles and Houston metropolitan areas, according to the Pew Research Center's 2017 estimates.

An accurate census count is key for federal funding, fair representation and business development, said Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus chairman José Menéndez.

"By adding a question on citizenship, it is evident that the intention is only to fan the flames of fear and distrust in the Census," the San Antonio Democrat said.

The Texas lawsuit follows similar suits from parties in other states, including California and New York.

The census has not asked about citizenship status since 1950.