Trump pushes citizenship question in 2030 census pilot, sparking fears of undercount

The Trump administration is moving forward with a field test of a citizenship question as part of early planning for the 2030 U.S. Census, raising concerns that the question could become a routine part of the census and affect counts used for congressional apportionment, Electoral College votes, and federal funding. The test, limited to Alabama and South Carolina and using the American Community Survey form (which already includes a citizenship question), could depress response rates in immigrant communities and lead to undercounts. Democrats criticized the effort; past attempts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census were blocked by the Supreme Court, but the White House continues to push for changes to census rules that could reshape political power and resources.