The Trump administration proposed sweeping changes to the national census that would restrict the population count used for political representation and federal funding to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, according to reporting by Roll Call. Submitted by the U.S. Census Bureau on September 9, the proposal aims to reshape the once-a-decade count starting with the 2030 census by excluding undocumented immigrants as well as individuals residing in the country on a temporary lawful basis.
Trump Administration Proposes 2030 Census Changes to Exclude Immigrants
The proposed rule changes also seek to eliminate parts of the questionnaire that collect information regarding race, ethnicity, and same-sex relationships, removing demographic inquiries that have been included in the national count since 1790. According to the draft rules published in the Federal Register, the Commerce Department framed the shifts as a return to the original intent of the founding fathers, arguing that undocumented immigrants are not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a usual residence in the country due to a lack of sufficient ties and allegiance to the United States.
Impact on Political Representation and Federal Funding
The census is used to divvy up the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to draw state legislative districts based on population figures found in each state. By narrowing who is included in the official count, the proposal could result in shifts in congressional seats among states and leave cities and states with high immigrant populations with fewer seats and less federal aid.
Because funding for most government programs is determined by state population data compiled by the census, immigrant-heavy states could receive reduced federal support. Demography experts and civil rights advocates warned that altering the questionnaire and population tally could warp data used for allocating federal funds, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, and drawing legislative districts. Meeta Anand, senior director of the census and data equity program at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, stated that the changes could have earth-shattering
effects.
Census data undergirds so much of our democracy and our society,
Anand said, according to NBC News. So you’ll start seeing a very inaccurate picture of our country, and then we’re making political decisions, business decisions, investment decisions based on data that are flawed.
Constitutional Questions and Legal Challenges
The administration’s proposal immediately drew sharp criticism and threats of legal action from state officials. New York Attorney General Letitia James vowed to fight the changes, stating that the proposal conflicts with the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which calls for political representatives to be apportioned based on the whole number of persons in each State
without reference to legal status.
We stopped the Trump administration’s census attacks in 2020, and we’re exploring our legal options to fight back again,
James posted on social media, as reported by Roll Call. In a separate statement covered by the New York Daily News, James added, The Constitution is clear. Every person living in the United States, regardless of immigration status, must be counted in the census.
During Trump’s first term, an effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the federal government had offered a contrived rationale. The latest proposal opened a 30-day public comment period following its September 9 submission, setting the stage for anticipated court battles and legislative fights.
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