President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to modify how the U.S. Census Bureau collects data, aiming to exclude immigrants residing in the country illegally from census counts.
Trump announced this directive on his social media platform, highlighting that census data will reflect “modern day facts and figures” and incorporate results from the 2024 presidential election, suggesting a political motivation in the count.
Driving the news: The census is the primary tool that determines political representation and allocation of federal funding nationwide, making any potential changes highly significant.
- Mid-decade censuses are allowed for distributing federal funds but are not permitted to be used for congressional apportionment; a census for apportionment purposes under this plan would require changes to the Census Act and approval from Congress.
- The census guides the distribution of roughly $2.8 trillion in federal funding for infrastructure, healthcare, and other state programs, so changes could have wide-reaching effects.
- In 2019, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, ruling this addition unlawful because the Constitution counts “the whole number of persons in each state” regardless of citizenship status.
What we’re watching: Trump’s proposed changes could also bolster efforts to pressure Republican-led states like Texas to redraw congressional districts favoring GOP candidates ahead of schedule.
- Texas Republicans claim population growth justifies new redistricting; the state currently holds 38 House seats with 25 occupied by Republicans. Trump similarly pressures GOP-controlled states such as Missouri and Indiana for early redistricting.
- The potential changes to census methodology could ignite fierce legislative battles and possible court challenges, given the constitutional importance of the census and the political implications of modifying its procedures.
