Trump seizes on Republican fringe plan for census

Every 10 years, the government is mandated to count “all persons” residing in the United States, a process that has been uninterrupted since the first census in 1790. However, President Donald Trump is now calling for a fundamental break with that tradition.

Trump’s new directive

In a brief statement posted to his social media platform, Trump announced what he described as a new directive. “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,” he wrote to his more than 10 million followers. “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” The declaration immediately raised questions about whether it represented a serious policy plan or simply another rhetorical flourish. Trump has frequently issued pronouncements that his aides later downplayed or ignored. But if taken at face value, the proposal faces both constitutional and practical hurdles.

Undocumented immigrants

The idea of excluding undocumented immigrants from the census did not originate with Trump. As MSNBC columnist Ja’han Jones noted in July, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been leading an effort to demand a new census that would disregard undocumented residents. Greene has repeatedly denounced the 2020 census as “Biden’s crooked census,” even though it began during Trump’s first term in office. Her call has found support among other prominent Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and now, Trump himself. Legal experts say the plan would almost certainly fail constitutional scrutiny. The Constitution’s mandate to count all persons leaves no room for selective exclusions, and there is no established process for conducting a new census mid-decade.

Decennial census

Beyond legality, logistical and financial barriers would also stand in the way. The decennial census is among the most complex and expensive government undertakings, with the 2020 count costing roughly $15 billion.mPlanning for the 2030 census is already underway, making the notion of launching another full-scale count within the next year appear highly improbable. Critics argue that the push for a new census is less about accuracy and more about political strategy. A revised count that excludes millions of residents could dramatically reshape congressional districts and Electoral College allocations in ways that favor Republicans. “The president and his party are so desperate to maintain power at all costs, they are exploring every possible avenue to rig the political process so that Republicans can’t lose, even if voters want them to,” the original analysis of Trump’s statement concluded.

Trump’s allies

The broader effort reflects an ongoing campaign to consolidate partisan advantage through redistricting. Trump and his allies have already pressured states like Texas to redraw maps, and a new census would provide another tool to entrench GOP power. Whether the administration makes a genuine attempt to carry out Trump’s directive remains uncertain. But the announcement underscores the degree to which the census — a cornerstone of American democracy since its founding — has now become a battleground in the fight for political control.

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