US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House for Joint Base Andrews en route to Dalton, Georgia, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, October 16, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Columnist León Krauze argues in a Washington Post opinion piece published Thursday that President Donald Trump's administration is waging a “two-front war on the census” that could "erase millions" of people from the official count.
The first front is a proposed rule, announced in September, that would count only citizens and lawful permanent residents when dividing congressional seats. Undocumented immigrants would be left out, as would many who are legally in the country without permanent status. The rule isn’t in effect, and public comment closes Nov. 2.
Krauze says the census “has never been a voter roll” and exists to help plan public policy. The 14th Amendment, he notes, bases apportionment on “the whole number of persons in each State,” and people who can’t vote still rely on schools, hospitals and emergency services.
Trump has previously tried to fundamentally alter the application of the 14th Amendment with restrictions on birthright citizenship, but the Supreme Court shot this down earlier this year.
The second front is enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been on the move around the country, rounding people up in what California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a "campaign of fear." Krauze argues that fear of federal agents can lead households not to respond, citing a 2024 Census Bureau working paper that found a citizenship question in a 2019 test depressed participation and worsened the undercount of households with noncitizens.
He points to a recent enforcement surge in California. According to the Washington Examiner, agents were told to arrest undocumented immigrants regardless of criminal history, and Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a “campaign of fear.” Activists said more than 100 people were detained in three days in the San Joaquin Valley. DHS disputed a volunteer’s account of being hurt, saying she struck ICE vehicles.
Either way, Krauze concludes, “People remain part of America while disappearing from its official portrait.”
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