"I have directed the Department of Commerce to begin the necessary work to conduct a new and very accurate census, based on the best data and methodology available, along with the findings and information gleaned from the recent 2024 presidential election", former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on 7/8. "Undocumented residents of the US will not be counted in this census".

The census is a constitutionally mandated process conducted every 10 years by the US Census Bureau, part of the Department of Commerce. Census data is used to determine congressional districts and allocate federal funds.

Former US President Donald Trump in Maryland on 12/5. Photo: AFP

Former US President Donald Trump in Maryland on 12/5. Photo: AFP

The census also determines the number of House of Representatives seats allocated to each state, which then influences how voting districts are drawn. Trump has long opposed including undocumented immigrants in the count.

The most recent US census was conducted in 2020. After taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order including all residents of a state in the official count. Trump rescinded this order on the first day of his second term.

Trump's order comes as Republicans in Texas and other states seek to redraw voting districts to gain an advantage in next year's midterm elections.

The next US census is scheduled for 2030. The White House has not confirmed whether Trump's directive calls for an immediate count before 2030.

Conducting a census is a costly and time-consuming process. According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the 2020 census cost nearly $14 billion.

Duc Trung (According to Reuters, Guardian)