Proposed Census Rule Would Lead to Intentional Undercounts

On Sept. 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau published a proposed rule that would make significant changes to how the 2030 Decennial Census counts people and collects demographic data. If these changes are implemented, it will negatively impact the communities nonprofits serve daily.

The decennial Census is required by the Constitution to count all people living in the United States and plays a critical role in determining the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data informs the distribution of trillions of dollars in federal funding to communities. This funding is used by nonprofits, governments and businesses to address community needs and deliver services.

The proposed changes would undermine the census's ability to provide a fair, accurate and complete count of people living in the U.S. The proposal excludes broad categories of people, including international students, H-1B visa holders, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented people and other immigrants from the population count, which is unconstitutional. Additionally, the regulation would eliminate questions on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation from the census, an unprecedented departure from the census’s practice of collecting critical demographic information since its inception.

Please select this link to learn more from The Associated Press.