Congressional Democrats and civil rights groups are alarmed by a proposed rule from the Trump administration that seeks to exclude noncitizens without permanent resident status from the U.S. census.
This change, if implemented, could shift congressional representation away from areas with higher immigrant populations and reduce federal funding for essential services such as education and healthcare.
Critics, including Meeta Anand from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, predict that this proposal will likely face legal challenges, as it contradicts the 14th Amendment's directive to count all persons in each state. The rule's supporters argue that counting noncitizens encourages illegal immigration and dilutes the voting power of citizens.
The proposal could lead to significant changes in congressional seat allocations, with states like Florida and Texas potentially losing representation, while others like Minnesota and Ohio might gain seats. Furthermore, the exclusion of noncitizens could jeopardize funding for programs that support low-income populations, amounting to trillions of dollars.
The administration's plan is still in the comment phase until November 2, and any changes would be challenging to reverse before the next census in 2030. The Commerce Department, which oversees the census, has not provided comments on the proposal, and the political implications of this rule could have lasting effects on representation and resource allocation in the U.S