ORLANDO, Fla. — With the next U.S. census just four years away, significant legal challenges are already in play that could affect both count procedures and who is counted. Allies of former President Donald Trump have initiated two federal lawsuits that target the methods employed by the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct the once-a-decade count.
The implications of these lawsuits align closely with Trump's agenda despite a new administration planning for the 2030 count. One lawsuit led by America First Legal, founded by Trump's former aide Stephen Miller, contests how the Census Bureau has protected participant privacy and its methodologies for counting residents in group-living environments.
This legal action aims to prevent the implementation of these methods during the upcoming census and push for revisions to the 2020 census figures. Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal, emphasized that the case seeks to uphold constitutional representation by challenging what they deem 'illegal methods.'
The second lawsuit, initiated in Louisiana, is backed by Republican state attorneys and a conservative immigration group, pushing to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population counts used for redistricting. If successful, this could deeply affect congressional representation across numerous states.
Concurrently, a Democratic law firm is intervening in these lawsuits, expressing concerns over the Justice Department's potential lack of robust defense for the Census Bureau. There are no current indications that government attorneys are not defending rigorously; however, intervenors argue the stakes are too high.
The Census Bureau remains focused on preparations for the 2030 count, planning practice runs in six locations this year. As litigation unfolds, the agency is determined to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the census process amidst a politically charged environment.
The lawsuits reflect ongoing debates around immigration and representation, echoing Trump's earlier initiatives which sought to modify the 2020 census process regarding citizenship and immigrant counting.
As lawsuits proceed through the courts, both practitioners and supporters of the census must navigate how these judicial outcomes will shape the future of representation at every level of government.
