&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Can Trump order a new census? US president pushes to leave out ‘illegal' undocumented immigrants")
US President Donald Trump has said he is ordering a “new and highly accurate CENSUS” that would exclude undocumented immigrants. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “People who are in our country illegally will NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.” He added that the new count would be based on “information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024.” This proposal marks a major departure from the traditional census, which is constitutionally required to count everyone living in the United States, citizen or not, every 10 years.
Why is the census important?
Census data is used to determine how many seats each state receives in the House of Representatives, a process known as apportionment. The numbers also help allocate billions in government funding. Trying to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count could change how resources and political representation are distributed. A 2020 Pew Research Center report suggested that such a move could cost states like California and Texas seats in Congress.
Can Trump legally do this?
Experts say any attempt to run a mid-decade census would face serious legal and logistical issues. A full census has never been held outside the usual 10-year cycle, and planning for the 2030 census is already under way.
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The Supreme Court previously blocked Trump’s effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, saying it did not follow proper procedures. The law also requires census questions to be approved by Congress at least two years in advance. It’s still unclear whether Trump wants to run a new census or simply change how apportionment totals are calculated. Either move would likely face court challenges.
What happened during the last census?
The 2020 census was conducted mostly under Trump’s first term, but was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was completed and released in early 2021, after President Biden took office. That delay stopped Trump from removing undocumented immigrants from the apportionment count at the time. The Census Bureau later said it had likely undercounted Black people, Hispanics and Native Americans, while white and Asian people may have been overcounted.
Who supports the idea?
Some Republicans back the move. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has claimed the 2020 count was flawed and urged Trump to push for a new one. Trump has also called for Republican states to redraw their district maps to ensure control of the House, saying his party is “entitled” to the seats. Democrats, meanwhile, have vowed to fight back.
What’s happening at the Census Bureau?
The former Census Bureau Director, Robert Santos stepped down earlier this year. Appointed by Biden, he left midway through his term, citing family reasons. His departure gives Trump a chance to appoint a new leader to the agency. So far, no replacement has been named. Even if Trump waits for the 2030 census, he could still influence how it’s conducted. Under federal law, the questions must be sent to Congress two years in advance, well before the end of Trump’s possible second term in 2029.
