Overview
- The Commerce Department and Census Bureau posted a proposed rule in the Federal Register on Wednesday and opened a 30‑day public comment period for changes to the 2030 decennial census.
- The draft would limit the apportionment head count to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and exclude undocumented immigrants and many temporary or non‑green‑card legal residents from the population totals used to divide House seats.
- The proposal would remove several decennial questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, add or reintroduce citizenship and immigration‑status questions, and authorize cross‑checking responses with Department of Homeland Security and Treasury records.
- Legal and political opposition formed immediately with state officials and civil‑rights groups saying the plan conflicts with the 14th Amendment and warning it will face court challenges while demographers warn it could chill participation and harm data quality.
- If implemented the changes could shift congressional apportionment and Electoral College votes, reduce federal funding formulas for places with large immigrant populations, and degrade data used for civil‑rights enforcement and public‑health planning; the measure revives a 2019 fight when the Supreme Court blocked a citizenship question.