The 2020 U.S. census will include a question about citizenship after an announcement from the Trump administration.
No citizenship question has appeared on the census for more than 60 years. Opponents say the addition is disastrous. Supporters say it is long overdue.
There's plenty of money and political influence at stake in the situation, including in Arizona.
The census is a headcount of everyone living in the United States -- it's conducted every 10 years online, by phone and by mail.
The data generated dictate where billions of dollars in federal funding go for roads, schools and welfare programs. It also determines how to split up the 435 seats in the House of Representatives to each states, which also means electoral college points are at stake.
Civil rights advocates say the citizenship question will scare away non-citizens who worry about deportation. They say that's not the purpose of the census, and the question will force the census to undercount states with higher immigrant populations, like Arizona.
The Trump administration and many Republicans argue the change isn't that big a deal. The questions were once part of the census before 1950, and they say getting a more accurate count of the citizens -- rather than non-citizens -- is necessary to detect voter fraud.
The state of California has the highest percentage of immigrants in the country, and it has filed a lawsuit to fight the addition of the question, arguing the most accurate census possible is necessary for planning.
Arizona has the 11th-highest percentage of immigrants and approximately 300,000 undocumented immigrants, plus many immigrant households have mixed status. The fear is that many of those households wouldn't participate at all, weakening the influence of minority community.
Jim Chang, Arizona's state demographer, issued this statement when 12 News reached his office:
"I wouldn't want to speculate on whether that question would impact participation. At the state level we are engaged in planning to ensure Arizona has strong participation rates for the upcoming census."