U.S. Proposes Census Changes That Could Exclude Millions of Immigrants

The US government has proposed significant changes to how the next national census would be conducted, including the possible exclusion of millions of immigrants without permanent immigration status from the count.

The announced changes contemplate excluding undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers, and other people without permanent residency from the population count used to allocate seats in Congress.

The proposal also suggests removing certain demographic questions from the census form, including questions about race and ethnicity.

Who Could Be Excluded From the 2030 Census Count?

In a Federal Register notice, the Census Bureau argued that immigrants living in the United States without legal status should not be included in the count used to determine the allocation of congressional seats.

According to the agency, these individuals would not have a sufficient connection to the United States to be considered usual residents for purposes of that calculation.

The Census Bureau also argued that the questionnaire should be “color-blind” and questioned the inclusion of questions about personal characteristics such as race.

The government is also considering removing questions concerning people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Why Could the Political Map Change?

The US Census takes place every 10 years, and its results have consequences extending far beyond determining how many people live in the country.

The population figures are used to determine how many representatives each state receives in the House of Representatives.

That allocation also directly affects the Electoral College used to elect the president of the United States.

Excluding particular groups from the count could therefore alter the political influence of certain states and communities.

“If you think about all the ways census data is used,” failing to count everyone living in the country threatens the accuracy of the information, warned Beth Jarosz, vice president of the Association of Public Data Users.

According to Jarosz, when certain people are not counted or are counted in the wrong location, their political representation may be diluted.

Immigrants Have Historically Been Included in the US Census

Traditionally, the decennial census has sought to count people living in the United States regardless of their citizenship status.

Information specifically related to citizenship may also be collected through the American Community Survey.

The debate recalls previous efforts by President Donald Trump to change how the immigrant population is counted and to add a citizenship question to the 2030 Census.

Federal Resources Could Also Be Affected

The potential consequences would not be limited to political representation.

Census data help guide the distribution of resources and allow governments and organizations to assess the needs of individual communities.

An incomplete count of immigrants could affect preparations for public health emergencies, natural disasters, and other situations requiring precise information about how many people live in a particular area.

“If you don’t have a count of everyone who’s there, you’re not going to have the resources you need. And that puts everyone at risk,” Jarosz said.

Questions About Race and Ethnicity Could Also Be Removed

Questions about race have a long history in the US Census and have appeared on its forms since 1790.

Since 2000, respondents have also been able to identify as belonging to more than one race.

In 2020, approximately 33.8 million people in the United States identified as belonging to more than one race, according to the cited data.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: Trump Proposes “No Invasion of Our Country Act” to Preserve Border Restrictions

Researchers and organizations use this information to study issues including discrimination, crime, economic inequality, and disparities in access to services.

Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance, warned that eliminating this data could make it more difficult for lawmakers, healthcare providers, public safety authorities, and community organizations to perform their work.

The 2030 Census Could Change Significantly

If implemented, the proposed changes could subject the 2030 Census to criteria substantially different from those historically used in the United States.

For now, however, they remain proposals, and their implementation could face questions and legal challenges before taking effect.

Jarosz compared removing essential information from the census to “trying to land a plane” in dense fog without access to the instruments needed to navigate.