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Census confirms drivers' records request tied to citizenship

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Census confirms drivers' records request tied to citizenship
News

News

Census confirms drivers' records request tied to citizenship

2019-10-17 00:25 Last Updated At:00:30

The U.S. Census Bureau is acknowledging that its nationwide request for state drivers' license records is the result of President Donald Trump's order to gather records that can better determine the numbers of citizens and non-citizens across the U.S.

The bureau has expanded its request for state records in response to Trump's order , officials said in a statement Tuesday.

Trump issued the order after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked his administration's efforts to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

A Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles drivers license service center is shown, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, in Hialeah, Fla. The U.S. Census Bureau has asked the 50 states for drivers' license information, months after President Donald Trump ordered the collection of citizenship information. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)

A Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles drivers license service center is shown, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, in Hialeah, Fla. The U.S. Census Bureau has asked the 50 states for drivers' license information, months after President Donald Trump ordered the collection of citizenship information. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)

The agency made the acknowledgement after The Associated Press reported Monday on the requests.

States already share records on food assistance and other programs to help the bureau track traditionally undercounted populations and pinpoint vacant houses. But civil rights advocates worry that the wider net being cast by the Trump administration for citizenship information could chill Latino participation in the population count, which will determine how many congressional seats each state gets and guide the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars of federal funding. The results of the 2020 Census also will be used to redraw state and local electoral maps.

Experts caution that inaccuracies in state motor vehicle records also make them a poor choice for tracking citizenship.

The bureau said the records it receives are stripped of identifiable information and used for statistical purposes only. The records are "safe, secure and protected by law," according to the bureau.

"Recently, the Census Bureau expanded this request to the states to include driver's license administrative records surrounding the executive order on increasing the use of administrative records for the 2020 Census," the statement said.

The U.S. Constitution requires that congressional seats be apportioned based on the total number of people residing in each state. But some conservatives are challenging that. Alabama is suing the Census Bureau , arguing that including all people regardless of immigration status for redistricting purposes unfairly shifts political power and electoral votes from "states with low numbers of illegal aliens to states with high numbers of illegal aliens."

Census officials will decide by March 31 on a methodology for tracking citizenship. The next day, April 1, is Census Day, marking the peak of efforts for the 2020 count.

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth hit back-to-back homers, Dylan Cease pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and the San Diego Padres won their third game in a row, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Friday night.

Manny Machado hit a two-run homer. Cronenworth finished with three extra-base hits, adding two doubles.

The Padres had a big offensive game on the same night they learned they might be adding another good hitter. San Diego is close to acquiring two-time batting champion Luis Arráez in a deal with the Marlins.

“I think it's great — you're always looking for more offense and a left-handed bat to balance out the lineup,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “But listen, nothing's official. We'll leave it at that.”

The Diamondbacks have lost 10 straight series openers after beating the Colorado Rockies on opening day.

D-backs pitcher Slade Cecconi (1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the fourth. Jurickson Profar walked to start the inning and Tatis launched a shot to left-center — his seventh homer of the season.

Cronenworth followed with another homer to make it 3-0 and rookie Jackson Merrill broke an 0-for-20 stretch at the plate with a one-out RBI double for a 4-0 lead.

Cronenworth had a down 2023 season, but has looked much more like the hitter who was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022 through the first month of this season. He's batting .279 with six homers and 25 RBIs.

It was Cronenworth’s second straight game with a homer. He hit a grand slam in the team’s 6-2 victory over the Reds on Wednesday.

“It's the right approach with the right swing,” Shildt said. “He's married both. He's driving the ball to all different parts of the field and not trying to do to much.”

Cecconi didn't make it out of the fifth, giving up six runs over 4 1/3 innings.

The Padres' three-homer outburst provided plenty of support for Cease (4-2), the hard-throwing right-hander who gave up just one run on three hits while striking out eight. He didn't allow a walk.

“I think my fastball command was a lot better, which is really a lot of the battle,” Cease said. “When I'm getting my fastball where it needs to go, it opens up a lot of stuff.”

Machado made it 7-0 in the fifth with a two-run homer to left center off reliever Matt Bowman. The scorched line drive came off Machado's bat at 111.7 mph.

The sliding D-backs — defending National League champions — have lost 10 of their past 15 games and fell to 14-19 for the season.

“We got beat tonight,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "We got out-managed, we got out-pitched, we got out-hit, we got out-coached. We've got to find a way to get the job done and play our type of baseball. That's the bottom line.

“We're grinding away. We're trying.”

Arizona finished with just three hits. Eugenio Suárez had an RBI single in the fifth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: Lovullo told reporters that closer Paul Sewald (oblique) and OF Alex Thomas (hamstring) could return to the active roster as soon as Tuesday against the Reds.

UP NEXT

The D-backs will throw RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 4.63 ERA) while the Padres will counter with RHP Michael King (2-3, 5.00 ERA) on Saturday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, left, celebrates his double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, front right, of South Korea, and umpire Phil Cuzzi (10) look for the baseball during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, left, celebrates his double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, front right, of South Korea, and umpire Phil Cuzzi (10) look for the baseball during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt watches the action on the field during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt watches the action on the field during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres' Manny Machado (13) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, left, pauses at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres' Manny Machado (13) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, left, pauses at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Bowman, center, rubs up a new baseball after giving up a two-run home run to San Diego Padres' Manny Machado, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Bowman, center, rubs up a new baseball after giving up a two-run home run to San Diego Padres' Manny Machado, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres' Manny Machado points to the sky as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres' Manny Machado points to the sky as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, slides safely into second base with a double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, of South Korea, applies a late tag during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, slides safely into second base with a double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, of South Korea, applies a late tag during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., right, celebrates his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Padres' Manny Machado (13) during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., right, celebrates his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Padres' Manny Machado (13) during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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