With the United States about to begin its monumental task of counting everybody in the country once every 10 years, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on Thursday, Jan. 9, to see what the Census Bureau is doing to avoid overlooking so-called “hard to count” communities.

Arturo Vargas of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials objected to the “hard-to-count” designation: “What makes people hard to count are the enumeration strategies.”

The 60-second advertising spot is mostly a feel-good montage. A restaurant worker, a grandfather, a farmer, and a child tell the viewer in Spanish that everyone counts, and that filling out the census is important for the local community.

DEEP DIVE — LEGAL BATTLE OVER CENSUS CITIZENSHIP DATA RAGES ON: While the Supreme Court halted the Trump administration’s plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census last year, civil rights groups in Maryland — including Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC — are still seeking to block an executive order directing the Census Bureau to gather citizenship information through administrative records, the Associated Press reports.

Many Latinos believe a citizenship question will be asked on the 2020 census and are less likely to participate, a national Latino leader told Congress on Thursday.

Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, said the “failed debacle” of the citizenship question has instilled a lasting fear that needs to be remedied.

Although the Trump administration dropped a citizenship question from this year's census, minority groups told the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Thursday that the question's specter has haunted preparations for a national count that could miss millions of residents.

As census efforts ramp up this spring, outreach organizations fear that Trump administration officials may try to deport the immigrant communities they need to count.

A network of nonprofits, local governments and advocacy groups has fanned out to help the Census Bureau conduct its decennial count of America’s residents. Some advocates worry the administration, after its failed push to add a citizenship question to the census, may continue on-the-ground immigration enforcement efforts in a departure from previous censuses.

U.S. Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on Tuesday joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in introducing a bipartisan resolution to ensure the 2020 Census is fair and accurate. The resolution encourages individuals, families, and households across the United States to take part in the Census so that all communities can be counted.

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Washington, DC – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Arab American Institute, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, and NALEO Educational Fund are launching 2020 Census hotlines for the communities they serve.  The suite of hotlines will operate in over ten languages and serves as a crucial resource for individuals who have questions or concerns regarding the upcoming 2020 Census.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice created Count on Your Census to promote a robust response to our nation’s Decennial Census. Each census response is a piece of a puzzle that, when completed, creates a picture of who we are as Americans, and how best the country’s resources can be shared. It determines how the federal government funds and responds to the specific needs of your family and neighbors like money for schools, hospitals, roads, and community centers.

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After months of litigation and unnecessary delay by the government, U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel in Maryland issued an order Tuesday permanently blocking the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.