Summary
Former President Donald Trump has directed changes to how the U.S. Census Bureau collects data, aiming to exclude undocumented immigrants. These changes could impact how political power and federal funding are distributed in the U.S. However, altering the census process would require legal changes and potentially face significant challenges.
Key Facts
- Trump instructed the Commerce Department to change census data collection methods.
- He wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from census counts.
- Changes could influence political power and federal funding distribution.
- Any census change needs Congress's approval due to the Census Act.
- Mid-decade censuses are allowed for specific reasons but not for allocations of congressional seats.
- Legal and logistical challenges exist for making census changes quickly.
- Trump previously failed to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census due to a Supreme Court decision.
- The census results help distribute federal funds and determine congressional district boundaries.
