If You Care About How Census Changes Impact Civil Rights

The federal government is proposing major changes to how the decennial U.S. Census collects
information, including:


  1. Removing all race and ethnicity questions.
  2. New residence rules that require the government to determine everyone's immigration status and count only U.S. citizens and green card holders toward each state's seats in Congress.
  3. New residence rules that change how the census decides where you live.

These changes are being made through the Federal Register, which allows federal agencies to propose and implement policy changes.  

Federal agencies are required to accept public input before finalizing regulatory changes. That means you have an opportunity to speak out and help shape the future of the Census, but you must do so by November 2!

Submit your comment now!

We recommend adding a few sentences that are personal to you, and how these changes will impact your communities directly.


Public Comment Preview

I am submitting this comment in opposition to the Census Bureau's proposed rule on residence criteria and demographic questions for the decennial census, 91 FR 57524 (Sept. 10, 2026). This proposed rule makes significant changes to the 2030 Census, including leaving noncitizens without green cards out of the count used to divide seats in Congress, removing race and ethnicity questions, and possibly adding a citizenship or immigration status question.

The Census determines congressional representation and guides planning for health, education, housing, and infrastructure, along with the distribution of more than $2.8 trillion a year across roughly 350 federal programs. When communities are miscounted or left out in the decennial Census, they lose their fair share of representation and resources for an entire decade.

This rule violates the Constitution and federal law, which both count the "whole number of persons" in each state, not just citizens. Congress chose "persons" over "citizens" on purpose, and counting only some residents revives the logic of the three-fifths clause. Changing who counts would require a constitutional amendment, not a census rule. The Supreme Court recognized in 2016 that representation serves all residents, including children and noncitizens, not only voters. Under this rule, millions of people who live, work, pay taxes, and raise families here would no longer count, weakening the voting power of the communities they belong to, including the citizens who live alongside them.

A citizenship question would make this worse. The success of the Census depends on public trust. Every person must feel confident that answering is safe, confidential, and separate from immigration enforcement. It would suppress participation among immigrant families, including naturalized citizens and citizen children, and increase fear and confusion about how Census information will be used. That means less accurate data for apportionment, redistricting, and funding formulas, higher costs as the Bureau chases households that did not respond, and resources directed away from Black and Brown communities.

Removing race and ethnicity questions would also take away data that federal law requires to protect civil rights. This data helps reveal discrimination in housing, jobs, and voting, and shows whether district lines split up or pack a community to weaken its vote. Without them, unfair treatment becomes much harder to prove and solve.