The US Department of Commerce is reportedly considering a rule for the 2030 census that would stop counting undocumented immigrants and remove questions on race and sexual orientation. The change could reshape congressional representation and the distribution of federal funding, while limiting evidence used to identify discrimination and inequality affecting minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

The proposal says personal demographic questions could create distortions, and argues that undocumented migrants should not be included in population counts for apportionment. It would probably require a citizenship question, reviving a Trump-era effort blocked by the Supreme Court in 2019 because its stated rationale was judged contrived. Census data influence congressional seats and funding for services, and an HHS employee warned that areas with large undocumented populations could lose critical support; researchers also say reduced racial data could undermine Voting Rights Act enforcement.