Who is Trump trying to exclude from 2030 US census and why does it matter?

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has released a proposal to remove millions of non-US citizens from national census data.

The plan to exclude non-citizens and those who are not permanent residents from the next full census in 2030 could have dramatic implications for federal aid and political representation, analysts say.

The proposal comes amid the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown and efforts to reshape electoral power, including through congressional redistricting and restrictions on mail-in voting , which activists say could disenfranchise minorities.

Here’s what we know about the census proposal and the potential political effects:

A memo from the Department of Commerce on Wednesday proposes that only US citizens and permanent residents should be counted in the national census.

That would exclude undocumented immigrants, as well as other lawful temporary immigrants who do not have a green card, which is issued to permanent residents.

The department has justified the proposal by saying undocumented immigrants and other foreigners without a durable legal status are not “true inhabitants” and lack a sufficient “tie and allegiance” to the US.

The proposal also suggests eliminating some questions on race and ethnicity, which have been part of the questionnaire since 1790, as well as a question on sexual orientation.