With 206 votes in favor and 202 against, Republicans in the House of Representatives approved a bill to count undocumented immigrants in the Census, but in order to exclude them from district representation.
The objective of the law is that each district only considers American citizens in the Electoral College votes, a new effort in the Republicans’ narrative on the supposed vote of undocumented immigrants, as indicated by a law proposed by the president of the House, Mike Johnson (Louisiana) and endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
The bill, HR 7109, sponsored by North Carolina Republican Chuck Edwards, would affect the 2030 census onward if it becomes law as it must be approved by the Senate, where Democrats control the chamber.
“This bill requires that any questionnaire used in the census every ten years include a check box or other similar option, for respondents to indicate whether the respondent and each member of the household is a United States citizen,” says the official information from the Camera.
The information from the Census, organized by the Department of Commerce, works for budget distribution, but also for the organization of federal districts, in the representation of the Chamber.
“The Department of Commerce must make public the number of citizens and non-citizens in each state,” the law states. “The bill also requires that the statement sent by the President to Congress, indicating the number of people in each state (related to the reapportionment of U.S. representatives), exclude noncitizens.”
That is, Republicans seek to make it official that undocumented immigrants are excluded from the Census, which is criticized by Democrats, such as the president of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Nanette Barragán (California).
“It is a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities,” Barragán said.
In the 2020 Census, former President Donald Trump defended the integration of the question about a person’s citizenship, which would have complicated the count that is carried out every decade.
With a message to cities and sanctuary states
For House Speaker Johnson, the law is necessary to consider only American citizens in the count.
The Republican leader added that the rule seeks to avoid “rewarding” sanctuary states and cities that protect undocumented immigrants.
“We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with greater representation in Congress,” Johnson said in a statement. “Common sense dictates that only US citizens should be counted for the electoral distribution.”
If the law advances in the Senate, then there could be restrictions on budget distribution to states, particularly to social programs that could benefit immigrants, although most aid currently has restrictions.