Overview

• President Trump ordered the Commerce Department to conduct an immediate mid-decade census that omits immigrants residing in the country without authorization
• He instructed the Census Bureau to base the count on current data and information drawn from the 2024 presidential election
• Legal experts and civil liberties organizations contend the plan violates the 14th Amendment’s requirement to count all residents and will face court challenges
• Republican officials in Texas, Missouri and Indiana are exploring use of the revised figures to initiate off-cycle redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms
• Census results determine the apportionment of 435 House seats and guide distribution of about $2.8 trillion in federal funding each year