Voting Rights Project

President Donald Trump ordered the US census Tuesday to exclude illegal immigrants in its population count for determining representation in Congress, a move that could boost long-term Republican strength. The unprecedented order challenges the long-accepted constitutional mandate to count every person in the country every 10 years, as the basis for determining representation in the 435 seat House of Representatives. “For the purpose of the reapportionment of representatives following the 2020 census, it is the policy of the United States to exclude from the apportionment base aliens who are not in a lawful immigration status,” Trump’s order said. Excluding undocumented migrants in setting Congressional districts “is more consonant with the principles of representative democracy,” the orde...