WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is calling for a new census of American households to be conducted and for migrants who did not enter the country legally to be excluded from the count.
“I have instructed our Department of Commerce to immediately begin work on a new and highly accurate CENSUS based on modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024. People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said on Truth Social.
The United States typically conducts a census once every decade. The government last counted residents of the United States and its five territories in 2020, when households could respond online for the first time.
The count includes foreign-born residents of the United States, including lawful permanent residents, students, refugees and asylum seekers and people who entered the country without permission.
“The U.S. Census Bureau collects data from all foreign born who participate in its censuses and surveys, regardless of legal status. Thus, unauthorized migrants are implicitly included in the Census Bureau estimates of the total foreign-born population,” its website says.
The U.S. Census Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump demands new U.S. Census — says non-citizens won’t be counted
