Trump administration proposes excluding certain immigrants from US census
The Trump administration has proposed revising how the decennial census counts the U.S. population by excluding certain noncitizens, including people with temporary legal status and those without documentation, from the total used to allocate House seats and federal resources. The Department of Commerce proposal would retain counts for citizens and lawful permanent residents while also recommending removal of some race and ethnicity questions and new verification of citizenship responses against federal records.
Why It Matters
Census population totals determine congressional apportionment and distribution of federal funds, so changing who is included could shift political representation and funding flows. The proposal also forms part of broader administration efforts that critics say could affect immigrant participation in government processes and reshape electoral power.
Key Facts
- Proposal released by: Department of Commerce
- Population groups to be counted: U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents
- Groups proposed to be excluded: Foreign nationals with temporary legal status and undocumented immigrants
- Question changes suggested: Eliminate some race and ethnicity questions; add legal immigration status to the short-form questionnaire
- Verification measure: Cross-reference citizenship responses with records from Department of Homeland Security and Treasury (tax agency)
The Department of Commerce has submitted a plan to alter who is included in the U.S. decennial census population count, proposing that some noncitizens be omitted from totals used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives and allocate federal resources. Under the draft, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents would remain in the count, while other foreign nationals — including people here on temporary visas and those without documentation — would be left out.
The administration’s proposal argues that individuals who lack a sufficiently durable legal status do not have the kind of ongoing legal tie or allegiance to the United States that should factor into apportionment. That approach would break with the 1790 Census Act, which directed census takers to count anyone with a usual place of abode in the country regardless of citizenship. Officials say the changes are intended to produce a different conception of who is counted for political representation.
The document also recommends removing certain race and ethnicity questions from the census form, saying those categories’ meaning and usefulness merit reassessment. Officials contend shortening or simplifying questions will lower the burden on respondents and could raise participation rates. The proposal would further require new verification steps: cross-checking reported citizenship information against federal files, including Department of Homeland Security and Treasury records, and adding questions about legal immigration status to the short-form questionnaire.
Scholars and critics warn the plan could depress response rates among immigrant communities and alter the distribution of political power and federal funding. Census figures feed into formulas for a wide range of programs; the Census Bureau reported that data underpinned more than $2.8 trillion in federal spending in fiscal 2021. The Justice Department has cautioned states they could lose billions if they fail to report immigrants known to state agencies as undocumented. A Brookings demographer said the proposal shifts the notion of who is considered American and could chill participation even if it is not implemented. The Census Bureau did not respond to requests for comment.
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