On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it would be reapplying a question about citizenship to the 2020 census form, a question that was removed by the Obama administration for 2010’s. While the CBS Evening News didn’t find it newsworthy, both ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News dedicated time to stoking fear about the question being asked. They worried it could drive illegal immigrant communities into the shadows and cost Democrats valuable seats in the House.
“This could have major implications, as well. Critics say this is about intimidating immigrants and will result in a population undercount, potentially could lead to lost Congressional seats,” reported ABC White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega. “But the White House says this protects voting rights and is necessary to measure the eligible voting population.”
Just like Vega, NBC White House Correspondent Kristen Welker touted the legal efforts of liberal states in suing the White House for daring to ask the question. “But the move is facing a growing backlash with several Democratic state attorneys general poised to sue the Trump administration,” she hyped. “Tonight, California's attorney general is leading the fight.” Her worries also included the question throwing off funding for the elderly, roads, and job training.
Welker talked with an immigrant rights advocate who bitterly declared: “This President's true intention is to instill that fear and to possibly push undocumented immigrants further, further into the shadows.”
The NBC reporter also spoke with demographer William Frey who had a dire warning for America: “It's going to have a negative impact economically, politically, and socially that we're all going to have to confront for years to come.” Welker failed to disclose that Frey was a senior fellow at the left-leaning Bookings Institute.
“In addition to federal funding, it also helps determine the number of congressional seats in each state, which means some states could lose a seat in the House of Representatives,” Welker added as she wrapped up her report.
ABC and NBC pushed a major piece of false information in regards to the history of such citizenship questions on the census. Both asserted that such a question had not been asked since 1950. “For the first time in more than 60 years, the census will now ask people whether they are American citizens,” ABC anchor David Muir wrongly declared.
In reality, the last time a question about citizenship was asked on the census was back in 2000. According to the long-form questionnaire from that year, question 13 asked: “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” The question is repeated six times, once for each possible person in the household. The question was also asked in 1990 and 1980. All of this information was easily researchable on the Census Bureau’s website.
Transcripts below, click expand to read:
ABC
World News Tonight
March 27, 2018
6:38:06 PM Eastern [34 seconds](…)
DAVID MUIR: All right, Cecilia Vega with us live from the White House tonight. And Cecilia, yet another major announcement from the Trump administration. For the first time in more than 60 years, the census will now ask people whether they are American citizens.
CECILIA VEGA: Yeah, David. This could have major implications, as well. Critics say this is about intimidating immigrants and will result in a population undercount, potentially could lead to lost Congressional seats, but the White House says this protects voting rights and is necessary to measure the eligible voting population. California immediately filed suit, David, and now other blue states are promising the same.
MUIR: All right, Cecilia Vega with us tonight. Thanks, Cecilia.
NBC Nightly News
March 27, 2018
7:12:40 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: Now to a new firestorm brewing over the Trump administration's move to add a question to the 2020 census. A question about people, about their citizenship, triggering worries that immigrants will skip the survey, and that could have far-reaching consequences. As NBC News White House Correspondent Kristin Welker explains.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: Tonight, the White House defending its move to bring back this controversial question to the U.S. census for the first time since 1950. What is your citizenship? But the move is facing a growing backlash with several Democratic state attorneys general poised to sue the Trump administration. They say adding the question could scare off undocumented immigrants from participating, potentially throwing off federal funding including for the elderly, new roads, and even job training centers. Tonight, California's attorney general is leading the fight.
XAVIER BECERRA: If you're not counted, then you don't count. And in California, everyone should count.
WELKER: Caesar Vargas heads an immigrant rights group.
CAESAR VARGAS: This president's true intention is to instill that fear and to possibly push undocumented immigrants further, further into the shadows.
WELKER: What do you say to critics who say this is a way to target immigrants?
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: I would argue that this has been a practice of the United States government. It's also helped to comply with the voting rights act.
WELKER: Several Republicans hailed the decision, including Ted Cruz who called it “imperative” that the data gathered is reliable. Still, experts warn.
WILLIAM FREY: It's going to have a negative impact economically, politically, and socially that we're all going to have to confront for years to come.
[Cuts back to live]
WELKER: The census is taken every ten years as required by the U.S. Constitution. In addition to federal funding, it also helps determine the number of congressional seats in each state, which means some states could lose a seat in the House of Representatives. Lester.
HOLT: Kristin Welker at the White House tonight. Thank you, Kristen.
