Collecting Information About Citizenship Status in Connection With the Decennial Census

Jul 16, 2019

Summary

Requires all government offices to give the Department of Commerce records to help count the number of citizens and non-citizens in the country.

What problem does this solve?

The Supreme Court blocked a plan to ask about citizenship on the 2020 census, making it hard to get accurate population data. This order directs all government agencies to share their existing records to gather this information without asking on the census form.

What does this order do?

Mandates government-wide data sharing

Orders all federal government agencies to give the Department of Commerce any requested records that can help determine the number of citizens, non-citizens, and illegal aliens in the country.

Identifies key data sources

Specifically names records from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Social Security Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services to be shared.

Creates a new working group

Establishes a group led by the Census Bureau to find the best ways to use government records to determine the citizenship status for everyone in the country.

Paves the way for a future census question

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to start the process for including a citizenship question on the 2030 census.

Allows for new state voting maps

Notes that states may be able to use the new citizenship data to draw legislative districts based on the number of eligible voters, not the total population.

Promises data confidentiality

States that the collected information will be used only for creating statistics and is legally protected from being used for immigration enforcement against any person.

Who does this affect?

Immigrants and non-citizens
Federal agencies
State governments

What is the real world impact?

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Raises privacy concerns over data sharing

Requires many federal agencies, including Homeland Security, Social Security, and Health and Human Services, to share personal records. Critics worry this creates a massive government database on individuals, despite promises that it won't be used for enforcement.

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Could change political power by altering legislative maps

Opens the door for states to redraw voting districts based on the number of eligible voters (citizens) rather than the total population. This could reduce the political representation of areas with large immigrant communities.

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Provides data for government planning

Gathers detailed information on citizens and non-citizens to help the government make better decisions about immigration laws, public benefits, and other national policies.

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Creates a more detailed picture of the undocumented population

Aims to produce a more accurate count of undocumented immigrants by comparing the total population with citizenship records. This information could be used to shape immigration enforcement policies.

When does this start?

This executive order takes effect immediately as of July 11, 2019.