Trump Administration Proposes Excluding Millions of Immigrants From 2030 Census

The Donald Trump administration has proposed excluding millions of non-U.S. citizens from the 2030 U.S. Census, a move that could affect federal funding and political representation across the country.

A Department of Commerce proposal would count only U.S. citizens and permanent residents in the next national census. Undocumented immigrants and lawful immigrants without permanent resident status, including many temporary visa holders, would therefore be left out.

The proposal argues that people without permanent legal status are not “true inhabitants” and lack a sufficient “tie and allegiance” to the United States.

The change could exclude millions of people. The Pew Research Center estimated that about 14 million undocumented immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2023, along with at least two million additional immigrants who were legally present but did not have permanent status.

Census figures are used to determine the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding for areas including schools, hospitals and infrastructure. The data also determines how many seats each state receives in the House of Representatives and influences Electoral College votes.

Critics argue the proposal conflicts with the 14th Amendment, which calls for congressional representation based on the “whole number of persons” in each state.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was examining possible legal challenges, arguing that everyone living in the United States should be counted regardless of immigration status.

The proposal is subject to a 30-day public comment period before the Commerce Department reviews feedback. Congress ultimately has authority over the census.