President Trump has ordered a groundbreaking new census that will exclude undocumented immigrants for the first time in American history, potentially shifting congressional power away from Democrat-controlled states that harbor millions of illegals.

Story Highlights

• Trump directs Commerce Department to conduct new “highly accurate” census excluding undocumented immigrants
• Move breaks 235-year precedent of counting all residents regardless of legal status
• Could redistribute House seats from blue states like California and New York to red states
• Announcement comes amid heated redistricting battles with GOP seeking to maximize representation

Trump’s Bold Census Reform Initiative

President Trump announced on August 7, 2025, through Truth Social that he has directed the Department of Commerce to begin immediate preparations for a new national census based on “modern day facts and figures.” Trump explicitly stated that undocumented immigrants will not be counted, declaring “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.” This directive represents a fundamental shift from the Census Bureau’s historical practice of counting all residents since 1790, regardless of immigration status.

Trump Orders New Highly Accurate Census Excluding Illegals!Only the number of CITIZENS should be used to determine allocation of US Congressional Districts . Non-citizens don’t have full Constitutional rights to representation.That Right is for CITIZENS .https://t.co/DsyC3Fp7ag

— Annie Pistol Packin Oakley (@AnneRifleOakley) August 7, 2025

Constitutional Battle Over Representation

The U.S. Constitution mandates counting the “whole number of persons in each State” for congressional apportionment, which has traditionally included all residents. Trump’s previous attempts in 2020 to exclude undocumented immigrants faced Supreme Court challenges and were not implemented. Legal scholars expect immediate constitutional challenges, as this directive fundamentally alters how America determines representation. The Census Bureau maintains its commitment to counting all residents, setting up a potential showdown between the executive branch and the independent federal agency.

Redistricting Wars Intensify Nationwide

The census announcement comes amid fierce redistricting battles across multiple states ahead of the 2026 midterms. In Texas, Republicans are pushing a congressional map that could net them 3-5 additional House seats, while Texas Democrats have fled the state to block the vote. Governor Abbott is pursuing legal action against the fleeing Democrats. Meanwhile, Democratic governors in New York and California are considering their own gerrymandering efforts despite existing independent redistricting commissions, as Vice President JD Vance visits Indiana to coordinate GOP redistricting strategies.

Massive Implications for Power and Funding

If implemented successfully, Trump’s census directive could dramatically shift congressional representation from states with large undocumented populations like California, Texas, and New York to states with fewer illegal immigrants. This redistribution would affect not only House seats but also Electoral College votes and billions in federal funding allocation. States that have welcomed illegal immigrants under sanctuary policies could lose significant political power and taxpayer resources, while states that enforce immigration laws could gain representation. This represents a major victory for Americans who believe congressional representation should reflect legal residents only.

The move aligns with conservative principles that taxpayer-funded representation should serve American citizens and legal residents, not those who entered the country illegally. Trump’s directive challenges decades of liberal policies that have allowed states harboring millions of undocumented immigrants to gain outsized political influence through inflated population counts.

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Trump orders new census excluding undocumented immigrants amid redistricting battles