President Donald Trump announced Thursday that illegal immigrants will not be counted in the next U.S. census, ordering the Commerce Department to begin work on what he described as a “new and highly accurate” process that reflects the results of the 2024 presidential election.
“I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.”
The move comes as Trump and his administration work to undo what they say were systemic manipulations in previous census counts that unfairly boosted Democrat-run states. In 2022, the Census Bureau admitted that several red states—like Texas and Florida—had been undercounted in the 2020 census, while overcounts occurred in reliably blue states like New York, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.
These distortions affect not just congressional representation but also the Electoral College, federal funding allocations, and redistricting maps, many of which are now under fierce legal and political scrutiny ahead of the 2026 midterms.
According to the Census Bureau’s current guidelines, “unauthorized migrants” are included in census data as part of the foreign-born population, alongside lawful permanent residents, refugees, and temporary visa holders. Trump’s new directive is a direct challenge to that longstanding policy.
The administration’s stance is expected to generate legal pushback, particularly over the 14th Amendment, which mandates that congressional representation be based on “the whole number of persons in each State.” However, Trump officials argue that this language has long been misinterpreted to include non-citizens who are not legal residents and who have no constitutional claim to representation.
The issue is already heating up state-level battles. Texas, Florida, and other Republican-led states are reviewing how illegal immigrant populations may have skewed past redistricting outcomes. With the Census Bureau preparing field tests for the 2030 count in 2026 and 2028, Trump’s push represents a preemptive strike to ensure the next census is aligned with constitutional and electoral integrity.
A Pew Research study released last year estimates that three states currently have over 1 million illegal immigrants: California (1.8 million), Texas (1.6 million), and Florida (1.2 million). Other states with large populations of illegal immigrants include New York (650,000), New Jersey (475,000), and Illinois (400,000).
If Trump’s plan is implemented, the political balance could shift significantly. Blue states with large illegal immigrant populations could lose congressional seats, while red states that have been shortchanged due to undercounts may finally receive fair representation.
The president’s action underscores his administration’s broader effort to dismantle what it calls a “deep state distortion” in federal metrics, redirecting policy and representation to prioritize American citizens — and only American citizens.
The post Trump Says Illegal Immigrants ‘Will Not Be Counted’ In The Next Census appeared first on Real News Now.
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