Six former U.S. Census Bureau directors who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations have formally urged the Department of Commerce to abandon proposed rule changes for the 2030 Decennial Census. The proposal would establish a January 3 to April 1 enumeration period, utilize administrative tax records for residency, and exclude noncitizens without permanent legal status from apportionment counts, potentially shifting congressional power toward Republican states.
Trump census rule proposal
- ▪Internal Department of Commerce draft documents show Commerce officials overrode U.S. Department of the Treasury concerns regarding the plan to use tax records for census residence.
- ▪The proposed 2030 Census rule would utilize federal administrative tax records to establish an individual's usual residence.
- ▪The proposed 2030 Census rule would stop the U.S. Census Bureau from collecting data on race, ethnicity, gender-related identifiers, and sexual orientation.
- ▪The U.S. Department of Commerce proposed rule changes in September 2026 for the 2030 Decennial Census, altering how usual residence is determined and counted.
Enumeration period changes
- ▪The U.S. Department of Commerce proposed creating a new census enumeration period from January 3 to April 1 for the 2030 Census.
- ▪The U.S. Census Bureau stated that January 3 was selected for the 2030 Census enumeration period because it falls halfway through a congressional term.
- ▪Under a 1790 federal law, the U.S. census has historically counted residents based on their usual residence as of April 1 of each census year.
Snowbird counting impact
- ▪The Cape Cod Commission estimated that nearly 18,000 Cape Cod residents could be excluded from Massachusetts' census count under the proposed enumeration period.
- ▪The proposed January 3 to April 1 census enumeration period risks counting seasonal residents in warmer southern states rather than their primary homes in northern states.
Noncitizen exclusion criteria
- ▪The U.S. Census Bureau stated in its proposed rule that immigrants without legal status lack sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States for political representation.
- ▪Metropolitan Area Planning Council director Jessie Partridge Guerrero estimated that 300,000 Massachusetts residents could be excluded from the 2030 Census count based on immigration status.
- ▪The proposed 2030 Census rule would exclude noncitizens without permanent legal status, including undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and visa holders, from congressional apportionment counts.
Massachusetts funding loss
- ▪Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin stated that Massachusetts anticipates filing or joining a lawsuit if the proposed 2030 Census rules are finalized.
- ▪Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey criticized President Donald Trump's proposed census changes, stating they undermine democracy and strip representation from residents.
Former directors' rebuke
- ▪Former U.S. Census Bureau directors Ron Jarmin, Robert L. Santos, Thomas Mesenbourg, Jr., Robert Groves, James F. Holmes, and Marty Farnsworth Riche signed the letter urging the Commerce Department to abandon the rule.
- ▪Six former U.S. Census Bureau directors who served under Democratic and Republican administrations submitted a public comment letter on October 28, 2026, opposing the proposed residence rule.
- ▪In their 28 October 2026 letter, six former Census Bureau directors stated that tax records are designed to administer taxes and can contain misleading addresses such as P.O. boxes or tax preparers' offices.
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