US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has ordered a rare mid-decade census aimed at excluding illegal immigrants from the national count. The move comes as both parties ramp up efforts to reshape congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections .
“I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS,” he added.
The US Constitution requires a census every 10 years, but there have been rare efforts, like in the 1970s, to conduct mid-decade national headcounts. In most cases, such as a 1975 attempt, those efforts were dropped. Historically, mid-decade counts have been authorised by Congress—not ordered unilaterally by a president. Trump’s directive is likely to face legal challenges from Democrats.
Typically, the US Census Bureau “collects data from all foreign-born who participate in its censuses and surveys, regardless of legal status.” During his first term, Trump attempted to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, but the plan was ultimately withdrawn after a series of legal setbacks.
The 2020 census also saw miscounts. Red states such as Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas were undercounted, while blue states like Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island were overcounted. With the GOP holding a razor-thin House majority, these discrepancies have fueled renewed focus on redistricting .
Last month, Texas Republicans moved to reconfigure the state’s congressional map in an attempt to secure up to five additional GOP-held seats. Trump endorsed the plan. Texas Democrats, however, temporarily blocked the effort by fleeing the state during a special legislative session.
In response, Democratic leaders in blue states including California and New York have threatened to redraw their congressional maps as well.
“I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS,” he added.
The US Constitution requires a census every 10 years, but there have been rare efforts, like in the 1970s, to conduct mid-decade national headcounts. In most cases, such as a 1975 attempt, those efforts were dropped. Historically, mid-decade counts have been authorised by Congress—not ordered unilaterally by a president. Trump’s directive is likely to face legal challenges from Democrats.
Typically, the US Census Bureau “collects data from all foreign-born who participate in its censuses and surveys, regardless of legal status.” During his first term, Trump attempted to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, but the plan was ultimately withdrawn after a series of legal setbacks.
The 2020 census also saw miscounts. Red states such as Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas were undercounted, while blue states like Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island were overcounted. With the GOP holding a razor-thin House majority, these discrepancies have fueled renewed focus on redistricting .
Last month, Texas Republicans moved to reconfigure the state’s congressional map in an attempt to secure up to five additional GOP-held seats. Trump endorsed the plan. Texas Democrats, however, temporarily blocked the effort by fleeing the state during a special legislative session.
In response, Democratic leaders in blue states including California and New York have threatened to redraw their congressional maps as well.
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