Texas could lose 3 congressional seats if the 2020 census asks about citizenship status

An accurate census is critical to the state. It is used to determine how many representatives Texas is entitled to elect to Congress. And the Texas Legislature and local governments rely on the data to redraw corresponding political boundaries. ... Almost 5 million immigrants live in the state, and it's estimated that about two-thirds are noncitizens — legal permanent residents, immigrants with another form of legal status, or undocumented immigrants. Additionally, more than 1 million Texans who are U.S. citizens live with at least one family member who is undocumented. ...The repercussions of an immigrant undercount in Texas could go as far as curtailing the state's projected gain of three congressional seats in Congress. Texas Hispanics — who make up a majority of the state's immigrant population — were behind 65 percent of the population growth that helped Texas gain four seats after the 2010 Census. Almost 700,000 immigrants — just about the number of people living in each congressional district — reside in Houston, where officials are worried about reaching immigrants who are "unsettled by recent actions and recent rhetoric." [The Texas Tribune]