Trump Seeks Census Excluding Undocumented Immigrants Impacting Multiple States

President Donald Trump has directed the Commerce Department to alter the U.S. Census Bureau's data collection by excluding undocumented immigrants, aiming to reshape congressional apportionment and political power distribution in favor of Republicans. This mid-decade census proposal, which would depart from the traditional decennial census, faces significant legal and logistical hurdles, as the Census Act requires congressional approval and funding, and mid-decade censuses cannot currently be used for apportionment. The move could dramatically affect states like Texas, home to an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants, potentially resulting in a loss of House seats and Electoral College influence for states with large undocumented populations, often Democratic-leaning. Meanwhile, Texas is undergoing a contentious mid-decade redistricting effort supported by Trump and GOP lawmakers, which critics argue would dismantle minority districts and weaken Black and Latino political power, sparking opposition from Democratic leaders. This push to reconfigure political representation has prompted warnings about voter confusion and threats of retaliatory redistricting in Democratic states. Overall, Trump's efforts reflect a broader strategy to consolidate GOP power through census changes and redistricting, though they remain fraught with legal, political, and logistical challenges.