The Trump administration has proposed changing the U.S. census so that only citizens and permanent residents would be counted, potentially altering political representation and the distribution of federal funds among states.
The proposal was submitted by the U.S. Census Bureau more than a year after President Donald Trump directed his administration to develop a system that would prevent undocumented immigrants from being included in the population count.
The proposed change goes beyond undocumented immigration. It could also exclude people who are legally in the United States temporarily.
The next full U.S. census is scheduled for 2030. Population figures from the census are used to determine congressional representation and help guide the distribution of federal resources.
Any change to who is counted would therefore have consequences for states with large immigrant populations and could affect the allocation of political representation and public funding.
The proposal is expected to face legal and political challenges before any change can take effect.
SOURCES:
Reuters report syndicated by Investing.com — Proposed U.S. census changes
