State Official Is Warning Of Possible Census Undercount

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin is warning that proposals by the Trump administration could lead to an undercount of the state's population in the 2020 federal census.

The Democrat pointed to a request by the Department of Justice that the Census Bureau add a question about the immigration status of those responding to the census.

Galvin said Tuesday the question could scare off some individuals and lead to an undercount in states with high immigrant populations, like Massachusetts.

The census is required to count the country's entire population, regardless of the citizenship of those being counted. Galvin said as much as 16 percent of the state's population is foreign born.

Galvin warned an undercount could cost the state federal funding, congressional seats and representation in the Electoral College.