President Donald Trump has called for a new census that would exclude undocumented immigrants from the population count, a move he claims will result in a “highly accurate” representation of residents. This directive is part of a broader Republican strategy to redraw electoral maps in their favor, potentially diminishing the political influence of voters who may be less likely to support Trump.
On Thursday, Trump announced via Truth Social that he has instructed the Department of Commerce to begin work on this updated census, asserting that undocumented individuals "WILL NOT BE COUNTED." The U.S. Constitution mandates a census every ten years, the last of which was conducted in 2020. This count is essential for determining congressional representation and federal funding allocations for various public services.
The proposal comes at a time when Republicans are seeking to gain additional congressional seats through redistricting, with Texas emerging as a focal point of contention. State Democrats have engaged in tactics to delay Republican-led redistricting efforts that could secure additional seats for the GOP.
Trump's push to revise the census count could significantly impact House seat allocations in states like Texas and California, where a large proportion of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants reside. Previous analyses suggested that excluding undocumented immigrants could lead to a loss of congressional seats for states with high immigrant populations.
This initiative builds on Trump's earlier attempts during his first term to exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment process, which faced legal challenges and was ultimately unsuccessful in influencing the 2020 census. Following his administration, President Biden reinstated the precedent of counting all residents, a decision Trump later reversed after returning to office. The ongoing debate continues to draw attention from lawmakers and legal experts alike.