'MAGA' Act Proposes Census Citizenship Question Again
October 13 2026
In the US, the citizenship question is back on the agenda for the Decennial Census. Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde has introduced the 'Make Apportionment Great Again Act' (MAGA Act), which will add the question to the 2030 Census and exclude non-citizens from apportionment.
The Act (H.R. 10377) would amend Section 141 of Title 13 United States Code to require that, 'In conducting the 2030 decennial census and each decennial census thereafter, the Secretary [would need to] include in any questionnaire distributed or otherwise used for the purpose of determining the total population by States a checkbox or other similar option for the respondent to indicate, for the respondent and for each of the members of the household of the respondent, whether that individual is
- a citizen of the United States;
- a national of the United States but not a citizen of the United States;
- an alien lawfully residing in the United States; or
- an alien unlawfully residing in the United States.'
The Commerce Secretary would be then be required within 120 days of headcount completion to published figures for each of the four categories for each state. Non-US citizens would then be excluded from the right to vote. A revised apportionment count would be required from the Secretary by January 31st 2027.
The Act also sets out required courts and procedures for any challenges to its terms, including that decisions from that panel would 'be directly appealable to the Supreme Court...which may review the case on an expedited basis.'
The Act has 42 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
An earlier drive to add a citizenship question during the first Trump Presidency was
abandoned after it was blocked by the Supreme Court. At the time, the President tweeted 'Can anyone really believe that as a great country, we are not able to ask whether or not someone is a citizen[?] Only in America!'
Among the objectors to the previous proposal was the Insights Association, which claimed that the addition of such a question would deter responses from immigrants, both legal and illegal; could result in minorities being undercounted; and may also add to the cost of the Census
An earlier attempt to revive the question during / immediately preceding the current Presidency, published in
January 2025, known as the Equal Representation Act (H.R. 151), appears to be stalled, awaiting discussion on the House floor, where it has languished for six months plus.
Web site:
www.census.gov .
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.
