Trump seeks to change how census collects data and wants to exclude immigrants in US illegally
August 7, 2025
President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to change how the Census Bureau collects data, seeking to exclude immigrants in the United States illegally. The Republican president said Thursday the census’ data collections will be based on “modern day facts and figures” and use information gained from the 2024 presidential election. It’s an indication Trump might try to inject his politics into a head count that determines political power and federal spending. Trump says people in the U.S. illegally would be excluded from census counts. Census changes could play into Trump’s efforts to urge Texas and other Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps. A census expert says Trump “cannot unilaterally order” a new one.