The US Department of Commerce has proposed counting only US citizens and permanent residents in the 2030 census. The change would exclude undocumented immigrants and lawful temporary immigrants without green cards from the national count.
The proposal is not yet final: it will undergo a 30-day public comment period before the Commerce Department reviews feedback, while the US Constitution gives Congress ultimate authority over the census.
What the proposal would change
A Commerce Department memo says people without a durable legal status should not be treated as “true inhabitants” with a sufficient “tie and allegiance” to the United States. The proposal would also remove some race and ethnicity questions from the questionnaire, along with a question on sexual orientation.
President Donald Trump has previously called for undocumented immigrants not to be counted. The administration’s proposal is part of a broader immigration crackdown and efforts to reshape electoral power, including congressional redistricting and restrictions on mail-in voting, according to the supplied account. Read the context: Family of immigrant fatally shot by ICE in Texas demands accountability and transparency.
Key figures
- Pew Research Center estimated 14 million undocumented immigrants lived in the United States in 2023.
- At least two million additional immigrants were in the country lawfully without permanent status, according to the same estimate.
- More than half of undocumented immigrants were concentrated in California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois in 2023.
- California had an estimated 2.3 million undocumented immigrants and Texas 2.1 million.
Why the census count matters
The Census Bureau says census data guides hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding each year, including money for schools, hospitals and public infrastructure. Rights advocates warn that excluding immigrant communities could produce data that underfunds cities and states with large immigrant populations.
Census figures also determine how many seats each state receives in the House of Representatives and help establish electoral districts. States with fewer counted residents could lose congressional representation and, consequently, Electoral College votes. Related coverage: Smoke from Canadian wildfires and soaring temperatures impact New York City residents.
Who is challenging the plan
Critics say the proposal conflicts with the 14th Amendment, which refers to counting the “whole number of persons in each State.” New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was examining possible legal challenges.
The Center for American Progress called the proposal an attack on political representation and urged people to ask their representatives to oppose it. The policy would not take effect until after Trump leaves office, according to the supplied account.
What happens next
The Commerce Department will accept public comments for 30 days and then review the feedback before deciding whether to set a new policy.
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