Trump Administration Proposes Excluding Non-Citizens from 2030 Census

The Trump administration has put forth a controversial proposal to exclude non-U.S. citizens from the upcoming 2030 national census. This move could significantly reshape federal funding and political representation across the country.

Exclusion of Non-Citizens

In a memo released by the Department of Commerce, the administration suggests that only U.S. citizens and permanent residents should be counted in the census. This would effectively eliminate millions of undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders from the census data. The reasoning behind this proposal is that these individuals do not have a sufficient 'tie and allegiance' to the United States, as stated by the department.

Impacts on Federal Aid and Representation

Analysts warn that excluding these populations could distort census data, leading to underfunding for states and cities with high immigrant numbers. With census data informing the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding for essential services, the ramifications could be significant. Meeta Anand from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights commented that the potential effects of this exclusion could be 'earth-shattering,' leading to flawed political and business decisions.

Legal and Constitutional Challenges

Critics of the proposal argue it violates the 14th Amendment, which mandates that all persons residing in the U.S. be counted. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her office's intention to explore legal avenues to challenge the proposal, emphasizing the constitutional requirement for an accurate count. Additionally, the Center for American Progress has labeled the move a 'flagrant assault on democracy,' urging citizens to mobilize against it.

Source: www.aljazeera.com