Latino city in Arizona grew, but census says it shrank

By ASTRID GALVAN and MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

SOMERTON, Ariz. (AP) — The results of the 2020 headcount have many Latino and Black communities concerned about whether the latest numbers are accurate. In Somerton, Arizona, a small city near the U.S.-Mexico border that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, leaders say the results make no sense. They’ve seen new housing developments pop up, and the town is building two new schools. But the census found fewer residents than in 2010. Communities of color have traditionally been undercounted in the once-a-decade census. Experts say the pandemic and mistrust fueled by the Trump administration’s attempted political interference contributed to fewer people responding to the survey.