Fact check: How did the 2020 census ultimately handle the collection of citizenship data?

1. Summary of the results

The 2020 census did not include a citizenship question on the final questionnaire. The Trump administration's attempt to add this question was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court ^{[1] [2]}. Following the Supreme Court's ruling, the Trump administration decided not to pursue the citizenship question further and instead printed the 2020 census forms without the citizenship question ^[3].

Rather than continuing to fight for the citizenship question, the administration opted to obtain citizenship information through an executive order directing government agencies to collect this data through existing government records ^{[4] [3]}. This approach allowed them to gather citizenship data without including it directly on the census questionnaire itself.

The constitutional basis for this outcome stems from the 14th Amendment, which requires the 'whole number of persons in each state' to be included in the census, and the courts stopped the Trump administration's efforts to exclude people without legal status from the count ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several important contextual factors not addressed in the original question:

• Accuracy concerns: Research indicated that including a citizenship question would have undermined census accuracy by reducing response rates among certain populations, particularly households with non-U.S. citizens or individuals without legal status ^{[5] [2]}.
• Political motivations: The Trump administration's push for the citizenship question was part of a broader effort that could have resulted in undercounting certain populations, which would have significant implications for congressional representation and federal funding distribution ^[6].
• Alternative data collection methods: The administration's pivot to using existing government records through executive orders represents a different approach to obtaining citizenship information that bypassed the constitutional and practical challenges of including it on the census form itself ^[4].
• Ongoing policy implications: The issue remains relevant as there are continued discussions about changing how the Census Bureau collects data and potential future attempts to modify census methodology ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation or bias - it is a straightforward factual inquiry about the 2020 census process. However, the question's framing as "ultimately handle" suggests there may have been uncertainty about the final outcome, which is understandable given the legal battles and policy reversals that occurred during the lead-up to the 2020 census ^{[2] [3]}.

The question appropriately focuses on the final outcome rather than the political controversy, allowing for an objective examination of what actually occurred in the 2020 census implementation.