FILE-The U.S. Census logo appears on census materials received in the mail with an invitation to fill out census information online on March 19, 2020. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump is directing the Department of Commerce to modify the way the Census Bureau collects data to exclude "people in the U.S. illegally."
"I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024. People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump said on Truth Social Thursday.
It’s unclear if Trump would launch a mid-decade census or change the standards for 2030 or adjust how the estimates are counted between censuses. The Associated Press reported that the Supreme Court blocked Trump from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census in 2019.
What is the U.S. census?
Why you should care:
The U.S. performs a census every 10 years with the most recent one taking place in 2020. The Census Bureau provides data about the residents and the U.S. economy. According to USA.gov, by law, all U.S. residents are required to take part in the census, and to protect an individual's privacy, all personal information collected by the census is confidential for 72 years.
Are foreign-born residents included in the census?
Local perspective:
The census count does include foreign-born residents in the U.S. and this includes lawful permanent residents, students, refugees and asylum seekers and individuals who entered the U.S. without permission.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau website, the agency states that it collects data from all foreign born who participate in its censuses and surveys, regardless of legal status. And unauthorized migrants are implicitly included in the Census Bureau estimates of the total foreign-born population.
Additionally, the Census Bureau uses the term foreign born to refer to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth, including naturalized U.S. citizens, non-citizen U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (immigrants), and temporary migrants (such as foreign students).
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the U.S. Census Bureau website, the Associated Press, and a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.