MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The federal government is asking a judge to dismiss Alabama's lawsuit seeking to include only citizens and other legal residents in 2020 U.S. Census counts.
U.S. Department of Commerce made the request in a Friday court filing responding to the state's lawsuit.
Alabama and Congressman Mo Brooks sued the Commerce Department and U.S. Census Bureau last year over the practice of counting all U.S. residents, regardless of their citizenship status. The lawsuit contends that Alabama could lose a congressional seat and an electoral vote to a state with a "larger illegal alien population."
A federal judge earlier this year refused to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds. Lawyers for the government on Friday renewed their request for the judge to dismiss the lawsuit.