The Commerce Department under President Trump has issued a proposed rule this week to keep people who are in the country illegally and foreign visitors out of the 2030 census figures that determine how many House seats each state receives. Those figures also decide Electoral College votes.

The Census Bureau has concluded that these individuals do not qualify as residents for apportionment because they lack a strong enough connection to the country. It further holds that leaving them out is a permitted use of its authority under census law and a prior court ruling.

Research from the Center for Immigration Studies in 2024 showed that districts with a larger share of foreign-born residents had a higher Democratic portion of the two-party vote among citizens, reflecting the political lean of people living near noncitizens.