President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has instructed the Commerce Department to exclude illegal immigrants from the upcoming census. He emphasized that the new census will rely on data from the 2024 presidential election to ensure accuracy.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.” This directive marks a significant shift in how the census has traditionally counted populations. The U.S. Census Bureau, which operates under the Commerce Department, currently includes unauthorized immigrants in its population counts, referring to them as “unauthorized migrants.” This group is part of the broader foreign-born population, which includes naturalized citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The Census Bureau plans to conduct major field tests for the 2030 census in 2026 and 2028. However, Trump’s directive could face legal challenges. According to Section 2 of the 14th Amendment, congressional representation is based on the total number of persons in each state, excluding non-taxed Native Americans. This clause raises questions about the legality of removing illegal immigrants from census counts.
Trump’s focus on the census comes as both parties are gearing up for redistricting battles in Texas ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans are particularly concerned about ensuring that census inaccuracies do not benefit Democrat-led states, an issue highlighted after the 2020 census. Many red states, like Florida and Texas, were reportedly undercounted, resulting in fewer congressional seats, while several blue states saw overcounts.
If Trump’s plan goes into effect, states with large illegal immigrant populations could see a decrease in their overall numbers by 2030. For instance, California has approximately 1.8 million unauthorized immigrants, Texas has around 1.6 million, and Florida has about 1.2 million. Other states, such as New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, also have significant populations of illegal immigrants.
As the debate over the census continues, the implications of Trump’s directive could reshape the political landscape in the coming years.
