Overview

• On August 7, President Trump instructed the Commerce Department to begin a new census count that omits people living in the U.S. illegally
• Article I, Section 2 and the 14th Amendment mandate a full census every decade counting all residents, making a mid-cycle exclusion unprecedented
• Constitutional scholars and civil rights advocates warn the plan is unlawful and anticipate rapid court filings to block the initiative
• Analyses estimate that removing undocumented immigrants could cost California, Texas, and Florida one House seat each and reduce their federal funding
• The directive dovetails with Republican-led redistricting efforts in states like Texas aimed at reshaping congressional maps before the 2026 midterms