President Donald Trump announced a bold directive on August 7, 2025, instructing the Department of Commerce to conduct a new U.S. census that excludes non-citizens and individuals in the country illegally, as reported by posts on X. The move aims to reshape how congressional seats and Electoral College votes are apportioned, potentially reducing representation in states with large undocumented populations. “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS,” Trump stated, emphasizing his intent to ensure the count reflects only legal residents, per @Trade_The_News on X.
The initiative revives a contentious policy from Trump’s first term, when he sought to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the 2020 census apportionment base, a plan blocked by federal courts and rescinded by President Joe Biden in 2021, per NPR. The Constitution mandates that House seats be allocated based on the “whole number of persons in each state,” a standard upheld for decades, but Trump’s order argues the executive branch has discretion to define “inhabitants” as excluding those without legal status, according to a 2020 White House memorandum. Legal challenges are expected, with critics like the ACLU’s Dale Ho asserting, “The Constitution requires that everyone in the US be counted,” per The Guardian.
Democrats expressed alarm, noting the policy could strip seats from states like California, Texas, and New York, which have significant immigrant populations, potentially costing them up to 15 House seats, per @JoeyMannarinoUS on X.
“This move, paired with strategic redistricting, could strip about 15 Democrat House seats away before the 2026 midterms,” the post claimed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi previously called such efforts unconstitutional, stating in 2020, “The president is violating the constitution and the rule of law,” per The Guardian. Republicans, including Rep. Chuck Edwards, support the move, with Edwards reintroducing legislation in 2025 to add a citizenship question to the 2030 census, per AP News.
Key elements of Trump’s directive include:
- New Census Goal: Excludes non-citizens and illegal aliens from apportionment counts.
- Political Impact: Could shift House seats from Democratic to Republican states.
- Legal Hurdles: Faces likely lawsuits over constitutional and statutory compliance.
The Census Bureau has not commented, but a 2023 simulation showed significant non-citizen undercounts in 2020, per PBS News. Four Republican attorneys general from Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio, and West Virginia recently sued to exclude non-citizens from apportionment, claiming states like Ohio lost seats unfairly, per AP News. As preparations for the 2030 census begin, Trump’s order reignites a fierce debate over who should be counted in America’s decennial headcount, with far-reaching implications for political power and federal funding.
