Census Proposal Would Stop Counting Undocumented Immigrants—and Ignore Race and Sexual Orientation
A proposed U.S. census rule aims to exclude undocumented immigrants from apportionment counts and remove questions regarding race and sexual orientation. Critics argue this move would undermine the Voting Rights Act and obscure data on social inequality.
Why it matters
Changes to census methodology have profound impacts on political representation, federal funding allocation, and the ability to track demographic disparities.
The decision could have far-reaching implications for federal funding, particularly in states where there are substantial numbers of racial and ethnic minorities, as well as on immigrant communities across the country.
The proposed rule, which is being circulated across government agencies for review, says the census will eliminate questions about race and sexual orientation “to protect from any distortions created from the inclusion of personal questions.” The memo also states that “illegal aliens (among others) should not be included in the apportionment count, they are not true inhabitants, members of the body politics [sic], or persons with ‘usual residence’ in the United States.”
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