Public Comment on the Commerce Department’s Proposed Rule Changing Decennial Census Administration

In September 2026, the Trump Administration released a proposed rule regarding the administration of the 2030 Census that would create a new “lawful permanent residence” standard for the count used for apportionment and would eliminate race and ethnicity questions from the form most people fill out. 

New America’s Education and Work programs oppose the proposed changes. Our comment outlines how this rule is unconstitutional, would severely hamper civil rights enforcement, and would reduce federal dollars that should be distributed to communities based on their level of need.