Trump Proposes Dramatic Shift in U.S. Census Practice, Excluding Undocumented Immigrants from Population Count

In a significant move announced via a social media post on Thursday, President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Commerce to initiate work on a revised U.S. census that excludes undocumented immigrants from the population count.

In his Truth Social post, the president stated, “I have directed our Department of Commerce to commence immediately the development of a new and highly accurate CENSUS grounded in contemporary data and facts, and critically utilizing the outcomes and data garnered from the Presidential Election of 2024.”

He further clarified, “Individuals residing illegally within our nation WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.”

This proposition signifies a substantial departure from traditional census practices, as the survey has traditionally enumerated all residents irrespective of immigration status.

The announcement arrives at a time of escalating pressure from the White House on Republican-led states to reconfigure congressional maps in a manner that could bolster the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms.

As per the Constitution, a national census is mandated every ten years to determine congressional representation. The census website underscores its purpose as “designed to enumerate every resident in the United States.”

During his first term, President Trump had attempted to alter the 2020 Census, repeatedly expressing his intent to continue advocating for the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 census. However, these efforts were thwarted by the Supreme Court.

Ultimately, Trump opted for an alternative approach, asking government agencies to provide records that could facilitate a headcount of citizens without directly involving census-takers.