Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

News

California Would Lose Seats In Congress If (And It's A Big If) Trump Can Omit Immigrants Lacking Legal Status From Counts

A view of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

President Trump issued a memorandum on Tuesday seeking the exclusion of immigrants without legal status from the census numbers that are used to divide congressional seats among U.S. states.

If this were to happen — and there are many reasons it might not — it could have major consequences for California.

The state, which currently holds 53 of the 435 seats in Congress, already faces the potential loss of two seats because the population has declined. Douglas Johnson, a research affiliate with Claremont McKenna College, said the loss of Congressional seats could double if the more than two million immigrants living here without legal status are eliminated from the census count.

But there are several reasons why the memo might not lead to much: To begin with, the 2020 census does not collect data on immigration status. An attempt by the Trump administration to add a citizenship question was derailed by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year.

Support for LAist comes from

Secondly, Jonson said, such an exclusion would be unconstitutional. He told us:

"The constitution is clear. Each house district has to have an equal number of persons. Person’s a person. There’s not much leeway in that term."

Still, Alejandra Ramirez Zarate with the racial justice organization Advancement Project California worries the memo may deter some immigrants from participating.

She's been trying to get word out to immigrant families that it’s safe to complete the forms and speak with census enumerators.

“What a more powerful way for our descendents to know that we were here than by responding to the 2020 census. By participating when we’re told that our existence doesn't matter.” Ramirez-Zarate said. “This is how you can save your democracy.”

READ MORE:

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist