The Department of Justice quotes the privilege of the executive in protecting census records: NPR

The stalemate in which was the separation of powers between Congress and the executive power was compounded Wednesday as a result of a dispute over access to documents regarding the controversial issue of citizenship planned for the 2020 census.

The Department of Justice informed the House Oversight Committee that it was withholding the documents requested by the committee chair because it was said that they were protected by the privilege of the executive – the doctrine that allows an administration to hide some of its inner workings.

Deputy Attorney General Stephen Boyd's letter arrived by e-mail on Capitol Hill as President Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Convened a hearing at which the committee appeared to be voting to hold Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in defiance of Congress.

Boyd's letter reproached Cummings for invoking the privilege. The Justice Department has already provided tens of thousands of documents and access to witnesses, but threats of contempt from the Democrats mean that these talks can not continue.

Cummings and Democrats blame Barr, Ross and the government for what they have called an effort to "block" their investigation.

Critics argue that the Trump government wants to use a citizenship question in the 2020 census to suppress some responses, including those from Latinos, and Democrats say they want unredacted communications to see how the issue has been discussed within the government.

The oversight committee adjourned and planned to meet later Wednesday after assimilating the message from the Department of Justice.