California attorney general tries to explain how including citizenship question on census is illegal

As Twitchy reported, the Trump administration recently announced that it would be including a question on citizenship on the 2020 census, which almost immediately inspired California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to announce a lawsuit.

Becerra and Alex Padilla, secretary of state of California, published an opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle Monday explaining — sort of — how adding a citizenship question to the census is not just a bad idea, but illegal.

#BREAKING: Filing suit against @realdonaldtrump's Administration over decision to add #citizenship question on #2020Census. Including the question is not just a bad idea — it is illegal: https://t.co/vW8sa7khq9

— Xavier Becerra (@AGBecerra) March 27, 2018

Shame on the Trump Administration for using the #2020Census as a ploy to intimidate immigrants. This is a blatantly political and ILLEGAL attempt to bully communities of color. https://t.co/j1Fp61k8WI

— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) March 27, 2018

So, where does everyone get the “illegal” bit? Well, Becerra writes that “the Constitution requires the government to conduct an ‘actual enumeration’ of the total population, regardless of citizenship status.” We’re just not sure how adding the question would interfere with that process — unless, of course, noncitizens refrain from responding to the census, resulting in a less accurate population count.

Is that the argument or are we just not getting it? If you ask about citizenship status on the census, illegal aliens might not respond and therefore throw off the population count (and federal funding)? So asking is illegal?

No…actually it is definitely not illegal to ask an illegal whether they are in the US legally, but maybe the California AG will find himself an activist judge somewhere in the court system to agree with this ridiculous lawsuit. https://t.co/yZC2AxruXs

— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) March 27, 2018

I can't wait to see the legal brief that says "counting the citizens in the US" is illegal. https://t.co/8LOdohy6BN

— Upstate Federalist (@upstatefederlst) March 27, 2018

It's so strange when a State AG doesn't believe in the rule of law. https://t.co/96TBC9UwOk

— autumnwindroark (@CCZIEGLER) March 27, 2018

Since when do laws matter? It's illegal to ask, but it's not illegal for them to be here illegally? #Regressives #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder https://t.co/aibdcXCRQ9

— Shelley's megaphone?? (@Shelleypatriota) March 27, 2018

https://twitter.com/Lorenzo_Duartes/status/978503957415956481

Well, looky here. @AGBecerra has filed ANOTHER lawsuit against @POTUS instead of focusing on what matters in California.

Hey, Becerra, your job is to be the lead fighter against crime in California. You weren't put there to campaign for your next job…https://t.co/qVITa82ZOF

— ☘️??Dave??☘️ (@BottleNoseDfin) March 27, 2018

This guy apparently has no problem w his corrupt state receiving more funding and electoral votes than it legally deserves; with it's inflated numbers of illegal aliens included! https://t.co/Pj6UQJhkg4

— I SUPPORT TRUMP (@KSISKProduction) March 27, 2018

They want illegals counted so they can receive more federal money. In other words, they want to be rewarded for enabling criminals.

Deport them. Throw their leftist enablers in prison. https://t.co/0Wr7xCRD3h

— Ben Rhodes' Echo Chamber (@dindunuffinyt) March 27, 2018

Leftists: Illegals dont cost the American taxpayer a dime.

Also leftists: If we dont count illegals we'll lose out on tax money and wont be able to cover the costs incurred from harboring illegals. https://t.co/0Wr7xCRD3h

— Ben Rhodes' Echo Chamber (@dindunuffinyt) March 27, 2018

Just to clarify, @AGBecerra is arguing that a citizenship question – ON A CENSUS – is illegal. This would be laughed out of court in a sane world. #2020Census #ConservativeNotBitter #Freedom95 https://t.co/tLJKsIuXUU

— J-Dot (@JDot3in3) March 27, 2018

REALLY getting sick and tired of the Democratic party bending over backwards to protect illegal aliens while refusing to represent or protect American citizens. #census #census2020 https://t.co/p4i1CEZ6Xt

— Angela.Kay (@DeepSouthProud) March 27, 2018

So we will get to cut Federal funding to The Peoples Republic of California for inflating its population numbers with Illegal Aliens? Awesome! Let's redistribute a few of those Electoral college votes while we're at it. https://t.co/9PgPhBnF5B

— Shawn McKenzie ?? (@SMcK17) March 27, 2018

Do not allow your tax dollars to be diluted by supporting illegals. Do not give additional congressional seats to states with high numbers of illegals. Keep citizenship question on #2020Census https://t.co/GWOpQIGPsA

— AZJim (@StandUptoElites) March 27, 2018

Please secede. https://t.co/ApXhBRBJRZ

— Hard Cheese (@plotpointradio) March 27, 2018

If Democrats were intellectually honest they'd let voters know that their real goal re the census is to maximize illegal alien response rates so that blue states get more Congressmen, presidential electors and federal funding https://t.co/TyL5z1BOnz

— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) March 27, 2018

“If.”

Related:

Citizenship question being added to 2020 census; Planned Parenthood joins those protesting https://t.co/zqOqmlaGBd

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 27, 2018