President Donald Trump and his administration have been secretly trying to manipulate the Census rules to exclude millions of immigrants and steal congressional seats, according to a new report from The Bulwark on Friday.
The Bulwark’s economics editor Catherine Rampell cited a “vaguely ominous but little-noticed regulatory filing” in June that could target immigrants, business and the balance of power in the United States.
“The filing was a notification that the Trump administration had drafted new rules governing the decennial census,” Rampell wrote.
The specifics behind the new rules are unknown.
“But from conversations I’ve been having with people close to the process, it is widely expected that the administration will try to recategorize millions of immigrants (both unauthorized and legal) as not actually living here in the United States,” Rampell explained.
The motive behind the move stems from the administration’s aggressive immigration policies.
“Put another way: If you can’t deport every immigrant, you can at least remove evidence they exist,” Rampell wrote.
The other reason Trump has pushed forward with the filing is to assume more power, since population determines the number of congressional representatives each state receives, which in turn determines each state’s share of Electoral College votes used during presidential elections. The Census also determines funding for states and specialized programs, including healthcare, housing and roadways.
“The stakes, in other words, are incredibly high. Which makes this rules submission process so profoundly important,” Rampell wrote. “And here’s the kicker: So far, virtually no one has noticed.”
Trump has had a vested interest in the Census and what the outcome behind changing it would mean.
“Let’s be clear: President Trump has been trying to ratf— the census for years,” Rampell wrote.
After his first administration, Trump’s allies studied how adding a citizenship question to the 2030 Census could disadvantage blue states — part of Project 2025.
Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of Latino civil rights organization MALDEF, revealed how the GOP has made several attempts to change the census.
“Before, they just didn’t know how to run the government,” Saenz said. “That’s still a little true today, but this administration, because of the first experience from the first one, is better—more competent at doing evil, if you will.”