Overview
- The U.S. Census Bureau published a draft rule on Sept. 9, 2026, and opened a 30-day public comment period for a proposal to change how the 2030 census counts people.
- The proposal would exclude non-U.S. citizens who do not hold permanent residency from the census products used for apportioning House seats and Electoral College votes and would eliminate race and ethnicity questions from the decennial form.
- Excluding those residents would lower official population totals in states and cities with large immigrant populations, which could reduce congressional seats, shift redistricting maps, and cut federal funding tied to population counts.
- Legal experts and civil-rights groups say the plan likely conflicts with the 14th Amendment’s requirement to count the “whole number of persons” and will face court challenges that could block or delay any changes.
- Advocates and researchers warn the move would weaken data used to enforce the Voting Rights Act, monitor discrimination, guide public-health and economic planning, and the next steps include lawsuits, congressional review, and possible reversal by a future administration.