Key Takeaways:
- The U.S. census determines how political power is distributed in Congress and the Electoral College.
- Including non‑citizens in census counts inflates representation for states with large illegal‑immigrant populations.
- President Trump is pushing for a 2025 mid‑decade census aimed at excluding non‑citizens.
- Two major bills—H.R. 4798, the “Making American Elections Great Again Act,” and the Equal Representation Act—seek to change how the census counts non‑citizens.
- Democrats strongly oppose excluding non‑citizens and are prepared to mount legal and political resistance.
- The outcome could fundamentally reshape political power for generations.
This will be a fierce, uphill political battle.
President Trump is calling for a 2025 mid‑decade census specifically to exclude non‑citizens—and he wants to do it now: “for election integrity, fairness, and fiscal responsibility.”
Republicans support excluding non‑citizens from census counts; Democrats are resolutely opposed, insisting that all individuals—including illegal immigrants—must be counted.
1. Why the Census Matters
The U.S. census determines representation in both the House and Senate—and even more critically, in the Electoral College.
- The House has a fixed 435 seats, allocated based on state population.
- For decades, illegal immigrants have been included in census counts.
- As a result, states with large non‑citizen populations gain additional seats in the House and extra electoral votes—which can influence presidential outcomes.
2. The Number of Illegal Immigrants Is Staggering
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are an estimated 22 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.
States like California, Florida, New York, and Texas each have more than 1 million.
Excluding them from upcoming censuses could cost these states substantial representation.
3. Conducting a Census Is Costly—but Still Necessary
- The 2020 Census cost taxpayers $13.7 billion.
- Approximately 288,000 workers were deployed to reach households that did not respond.
- In California, Governor Newsom even dispatched paid staff to parks and community gatherings to ensure migrants were counted.
- This high cost underscores why Democrats are prepared to fight aggressively against a new census that omits non‑citizens.
- The Current Battle in CongressTwo competing bills are in play:
- R. 4798 – Making American Elections Great Again Act: Would require conducting a new census immediately to exclude non‑citizens.
- Equal Representation Act: Would exclude illegal immigrants from future apportionment (from 2030 onward) by introducing a citizenship question.
- The House version (H.B. 151) currently has 62 co‑sponsors, while the Senate version (S.B. 2205) has 18. They face a steep climb—especially in the Senate, where Republicans hold only 53 seats, and most legislation needs 60 votes to pass.
- Excluding Non-Citizens Will Be a Brutal FightThe Census Act gives the Commerce Secretary authority over census content—but introducing a citizenship question will prompt massive legal challenges.
Democrats remain steadfast in their opposition, and if these bills fail now, expect similar battles again in 2030.
Action Steps: What You Can Do
- Write or call your U.S. Senators and Representatives, urging them to vote “YES” on both bills for the sake of election integrity.
U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224‑3121 – Ask to be connected to both your Senators and your Representative.
- Pray that President Trump will be able to sign it.
- Use online tools like USA.gov, Congress.gov, GovTrack.us, 5 Calls, or Resist.bot to find contact info, track legislation, and send messages.
Craig Huey is an author, speaker, podcaster, and publisher of The Huey Alert. His latest book is The Great Deception 10 Shocking Dangers and the Blueprint for Rescuing the American Dream.