Trump Orders Census Exclude Illegal Immigrants From Population Count

President Donald Trump has directed the Commerce Department to begin work on a new census that excludes undocumented immigrants from the population count, emphasizing that people who are in the country illegally will not be counted. This move, announced on social media platforms like Truth Social, aims to use updated data including results from the 2024 presidential election, and is seen as part of Republican efforts to influence redistricting ahead of upcoming elections, particularly in states like Texas. Traditionally, the census is conducted every ten years, with the next official census scheduled for 2030, but Trump's call for a mid-decade census is highly unusual and likely to face legal challenges. Critics argue that excluding undocumented immigrants violates the 14th Amendment, which mandates counting all persons for congressional representation, and could deprive communities of federal resources. Trump’s previous attempts to modify the census, including adding a citizenship question and excluding illegal immigrants, were blocked by courts, but the current Supreme Court’s conservative majority may change the legal landscape. The Census Bureau currently includes unauthorized immigrants in its population counts under the category of foreign-born residents, highlighting the significant policy shift proposed by the administration.