LOS ANGELES, Sept 11: The Trump administration is proposing sweeping changes to the once a decade US Census that could exclude millions of immigrants from the population count while removing key racial and ethnic questions from the questionnaire.
The proposed overhaul, announced Wednesday, would exclude undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers and people without permanent legal status from the apportionment count. Several demographic questions currently included in the census could also be dropped.
The proposal echoes an earlier push by President Donald Trump to include a citizenship question in the 2030 Census.
In a notice published on the Federal Register, the US Census Bureau argued that undocumented immigrants and certain other non-permanent residents should not be included in determining congressional apportionment because they lack what the administration considers a sufficient connection to the United States.
The agency also said the census should be “colourblind” and not be influenced by questions about characteristics such as race. It is additionally considering removing questions concerning people who identify as LGBTQ+.
Researchers and data experts have raised concerns that excluding sections of the population could reduce the accuracy and usefulness of census figures.
Beth Jarosz, a data researcher and vice president of the Association of Public Data Users, described the proposals as unprecedented. She warned that failing to count everyone living in the country could have broad consequences because census figures are used for a wide range of government decisions.
The decennial population count plays a crucial role in determining how many seats each state receives in the US House of Representatives. The figures also influence the allocation of Electoral College votes.
Jarosz said inaccurate or incomplete population counts could result in communities being placed at a disadvantage when political representation is determined.
Immigrant Count
Historically, the decennial census has sought to count people living in the United States regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, rather than conducting a comprehensive citizenship-based population count.
Accurate population information is also important during public health emergencies and natural or human-caused disasters, when authorities use demographic data to determine where resources are needed.
Experts say excluding people based on immigration status could therefore affect planning and emergency response beyond the political consequences.
Importance of Race and Ethnicity Data
Questions concerning race have been part of the US Census since 1790, while respondents have been allowed to identify with more than one race since 2000.
According to US Census data, 33.8 million Americans identified as belonging to more than one race in 2020. Researchers use racial and ethnic information to study issues including discrimination, crime, income disparities and other social and economic conditions.
Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance, said the proposed changes could significantly affect communities that depend on reliable population data.
She said the removal of demographic information could make it harder for lawmakers, healthcare providers, public safety officials and community organisations to understand the needs of different populations.
Advocates also warned that eliminating race and ethnicity information could make it more difficult to monitor disparities and identify communities requiring targeted assistance.
Jarosz said the proposed changes could undermine the reliability of the 2030 Census by leaving policymakers with an incomplete picture of the country’s population.
She compared the potential impact to attempting to land an aircraft in thick fog while having both the windshield and key instruments obstructed.