The Trump administration has submitted a proposal to overhaul the US census (a constitutionally mandated nationwide population count conducted every ten years) by excluding undocumented immigrants and foreign nationals without permanent legal status from the tally. Released by the Department of Commerce, the plan would limit the count to US citizens and lawful permanent residents, marking a significant break from historical practice dating back to the 1790 Census Act, which counted all people with a usual place of residence in the country regardless of citizenship. The census determines the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives and the distribution of more than $2.8 trillion in annual federal funding, meaning the change could substantially shift political power and resources away from states with large immigrant populations.