Critics Sound the Alarm as Donald Trump's 'Two-Front War on the Census' Threatens to 'Erase Millions'

Donald Trump's administration risks excluding millions from congressional seat calculations or discouraging census participation in the United States, columnist León Krauze warned on 22 October 2026.

His warning follows a proposal announced in September that would count only citizens and lawful permanent residents when dividing congressional seats. The rule is not in effect, and the public comment period remains open.

In a Washington Post opinion piece, Krauze described a 'two-front war on the census' that could 'erase millions'. His argument connects the proposed restriction with the possibility that fear of immigration enforcement will deter households from answering the census.

California Arrests Behind the Census Warning

Krauze points to a recent enforcement surge in California. The Washington Examiner reported that agents were instructed to arrest undocumented immigrants regardless of criminal history, while Governor Gavin Newsom described the operation as a 'campaign of fear.'

Activists stated that more than 100 people were detained over three days in the San Joaquin Valley.

Separately, in Santa Ana, the Department of Homeland Security accused volunteer Jackie Córdova of striking Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles with a metal object during an encounter with agents. Córdova denied the allegation.

Newsom's criticism addressed the enforcement campaign. Krauze links those arrests to his concern about census participation.

Who Would Count Under Trump's Census Proposal

The proposed rule would exclude undocumented immigrants from the population figures determining the distribution of congressional seats. It would also omit many people living legally in the country who do not have permanent resident status.

The issue is therefore broader than the treatment of undocumented residents. Under the proposal Krauze describes, lawful presence alone would not guarantee inclusion in the figures determining how congressional seats are divided.

Krauze argues that the census 'has never been a voter roll'. Those unable to vote still depend on schools, hospitals and emergency services, making the count relevant to public policy as well as political representation.

The 14th Amendment bases apportionment on 'the whole number of persons in each State,' he notes. His objection rests on the difference between counting residents and deciding who is eligible to cast a ballot.

Trump has also sought restrictions on birthright citizenship, a separate dispute involving the 14th Amendment.

What a Census Test Revealed About Participation

The other part of Krauze's argument concerns people who might never respond. He contends that fear of federal agents can discourage households from participating, creating an undercount beyond the exclusions envisaged in the proposed apportionment rule.

The mechanisms he describes operate differently. The proposed rule would determine whose presence counts towards congressional representation, while the enforcement concern relates to whether households respond in the first place. In his assessment, both could reduce the population reflected in official figures.

He cites a 2024 Census Bureau working paper examining a citizenship question in a 2019 test. The paper found that the question depressed participation and worsened the undercount of households with noncitizens, according to his account.

That finding concerns a past test, rather than evidence establishing how many people would avoid a future census because of current enforcement operations. Krauze draws on it to support his warning about participation.

'People remain part of America while disappearing from its official portrait.' Krauze's conclusion describes a risk he foresees, rather than a confirmed tally of people already excluded from the count.

The proposed apportionment rule remains subject to public comment until 2 November.