Proposed Changes to Census Would Strip Communities of Representation and Billions in Federal Funding
November 2, 2026
LULAC and Democracy Defenders Fund tell the Census Bureau that redefining “usual residence” and cutting demographic questions would distort congressional seats, redistricting, and hundreds of billions in federal funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of today’s public comment deadline, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization, and Democracy Defenders Fund submitted a formal comment urging the Census Bureau to abandon proposed changes that would exclude millions from the decennial Census count and undermine the constitutional mandate for a complete and accurate count.
The bureau’s proposed changes would have far-reaching consequences for Latino, marginalized communities including immigrants, and the nation as a whole. The changes include the removal of any questions on race and ethnicity, putting Latinos at risk of statistical erasure. Excluding millions of residents from the census count would undermine fair political representation by shaping congressional apportionment, future redistricting, and elections nationwide for the next decade.
An inaccurate census would also put billions of dollars in federal funding at risk. Census data determines how hundreds of billions of dollars are distributed annually to support essential community resources, public services, and economic development. Changes that compromise the accuracy of the count could leave communities underrepresented and jeopardize the resources they rely on.
The comment states: “These proposed changes would violate the Constitution and federal statutory requirements, constitute arbitrary and capricious agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act, produce substantial census undercounts, dilute the voting strength and representation of immigrant and Latino communities, and jeopardize the equitable distribution of federal funding for essential public services. If implemented, the Proposed Rule would adversely affect all individuals residing in the United States, regardless of citizenship status, and undermine the interests of the whole nation.”
Read the full public comment here.
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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.
For media inquiries, contact press@democracydefenders.org.
