The Trump administration has proposed excluding some legal and undocumented immigrants from the US census count that determines the apportionment of House seats.
Key facts
- The Trump administration proposed excluding certain immigrants from the US census.
- The proposal targets some legal and undocumented immigrants.
- The census count is used to determine the allocation of US House seats.
- The proposal was reported by Al Jazeera on September 10, 2026.
The Trump administration has proposed excluding certain immigrants from the US census, according to Al Jazeera. The proposal would remove some legal and undocumented immigrants from the count that is used to determine the distribution of seats in the US House of Representatives.
The census is a nationwide population count. As reported, the figures gathered are used to determine how many House seats each state receives, making the question of who is counted a matter of significant political consequence.
Under the proposal described by Al Jazeera, the change would apply to some legal as well as undocumented immigrants. The source text does not specify which categories of immigrants would be affected or the mechanism by which they would be excluded.
The report, published on September 10, 2026, outlines the administration’s aim to alter the population base used for apportionment. Further details on the timeline, legal basis, or implementation of the proposal were not provided in the available source.
Because apportionment shapes how political representation is divided among states, any change to who is included in the census count could affect the balance of seats. The available reporting does not detail the projected impact on individual states.
Why it matters
The census count determines how many seats each state holds in the US House of Representatives, so changing who is counted could shift political representation across the country. The proposal raises questions about how legal and undocumented immigrants are treated in a process with far-reaching consequences for federal power.
Frequently asked questions
What has the Trump administration proposed?
According to Al Jazeera, the administration proposed excluding certain legal and undocumented immigrants from the US census count.
Why does the census count matter?
The count is used to determine how US House seats are allocated, so who is included affects political representation.
Which immigrants would be affected?
The source states the proposal targets some legal and undocumented immigrants, but does not specify which categories would be excluded.