Updated Jul 9, 2019

Trump admin steps up push to add citizenship question to 2020 Census

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Attorney General Bill Barr told AP Monday he can see a legal avenue for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, but he declined to reveal details of the Trump administration's strategy.

Why it matters: It's the latest indication that the Trump administration is stepping up legal efforts to add the question to the 2020 Census, after the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the move. The Justice Department said Sunday a new team of government lawyers was taking over the push to include the question, per the Wall Street Journal.

The big picture: A senior official told AP that President Trump is "expected to issue a memorandum to the Commerce Department instructing it to include the question on census forms." Trump has said he's considering issuing an executive order to add the citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director Ken Cuccinelli told "Fox News Sunday" that Trump is "determined ... to have it roll forward in the 2020 Census."

This article has been updated with Barr's comments.

Go deeper: Trump publicly weighs executive order on citizenship question

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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

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Trump to end Hong Kong’s special trade status

President Trump. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. would be fundamentally changing longstanding policies toward Hong Kong as a result of Chinese encroachment on the city's autonomy.

Why it matters: Trump said he would be effectively ending the special trade status that has allowed Hong Kong to flourish as a gateway to the Chinese market. That leaves an uncertain future for businesses that operate in Hong Kong, not to mention the city's 7 million residents, and could be met with reprisals from Beijing.

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