Trump gives directive for a citizens only census
News | By Easton Martin | August 7, 2025
President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Commerce to conduct a new census that excludes individuals living in the United States without legal status. The announcement was made on Truth Social.
According to the statement, the purpose of the new census is to create a more accurate count of the U.S. population based on legal residency. Trump stated that the data would help determine congressional representation and the allocation of federal resources.
The U.S. Constitution requires a nationwide census every ten years to count the population for apportionment purposes. The most recent census was conducted in 2020, and the next is scheduled for 2030.
In 2019, the Trump administration attempted to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. That effort was blocked in federal court.
As of now, the Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce have not released official responses or implementation details regarding the new directive.
