Census Bureau plans to use survey with a citizenship question in its test for 2030, alarming experts
February 5, 2026
The U.S. Census Bureau plans to use a survey form with a citizenship question for its 2030 census practice test. The test being conducted in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, uses questions from the American Community Survey, not recent census forms. The ACS includes a citizenship question while the census form does not. This decision follows the Trump administration’s failed attempt to add such a question to the 2020 census. Experts express concern about using ACS questions, saying they won’t provide a valid test for 2030 census operations.