Trump orders census overhaul to exclude undocumented immigrants, sparks debates

Donald Trump, the United States president has directed the Department of Commerce to begin work on a new population survey that excludes undocumented immigrants from the official count—a move that reignites a politically and legally fraught debate ahead of the 2030 census.

In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump claimed he had instructed officials to begin developing what he called a “new and highly accurate” census, which would draw on data from the 2024 presidential election and focus on “modern day facts and figures.”

“People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS,” the president wrote in all caps.

The announcement raises immediate constitutional questions and could reshape the political map by altering how congressional seats and federal resources are distributed across the country. Critics say it also revives a contentious effort Trump made during his first term, when his administration tried—unsuccessfully—to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

Constitutional flashpoint

The U.S. Constitution, under the 14th Amendment, mandates that congressional representation be based on “counting the whole number of persons in each state.” That language has historically been interpreted to include every resident, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

The Census Bureau also affirms that the decennial count is intended to tally “every resident in the United States.”

Several Democratic lawmakers immediately condemned Trump’s directive as unconstitutional.

“The Constitution mandates a census every ten years that counts every single person in the country, regardless of their citizenship status,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. “When Trump tried to do this in 2020, the courts flat out rejected it. The Constitution is plain and simple: ‘whole number of persons.’”

In 2019, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to include a citizenship question, ruling that the administration failed to provide a “reasoned explanation” for the change. However, with the court now more conservative, a new legal battle could unfold differently.

Political stakes and representation

Republicans defending the move argue that counting undocumented immigrants unfairly benefits states with large immigrant populations, many of which lean Democratic.

‘We the People’ means citizens, not invaders,” said Republican Congressman Mark Harris on X (formerly Twitter). “Counting illegal aliens in the census disenfranchises Americans and rewards blue states for breaking the law. Let’s get a recount — ASAP!!”

Beyond politics, the census directly affects how more than $1.5 trillion in federal funding is distributed annually to states and localities—for everything from infrastructure and education to emergency services and healthcare. Critics say excluding undocumented immigrants would lead to undercounting in many communities, especially in urban and immigrant-rich regions, and risk skewing vital national data used by researchers and policymakers.