Trump census order targets illegal migrants

Trump census order targets illegal migrants

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Tuesday that targets migrants who are in the United States illegally from being counted when U.S. congressional voting districts are next redrawn.

Gavino Garay produced this report.

**EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS NEW PACKAGE INCLUDES AN UPDATE THAT FOCUSES ON CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING** President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Tuesday that would prevent migrants who are in the United States illegally from being counted when U.S. congressional voting districts are next redrawn, triggering swift rebukes from Democrats.

U.S. census experts and lawyers say the action is legally dubious, and not easily executed in practice.

In theory, it could benefit Trump's Republican Party by eliminating the largely non-white population of migrants in the United States illegally, creating voting districts that skew more Caucasian.

It could also cause populous states with large immigrant contingents to lose seats in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives, including big left-leaning states like California and New York.

Redistricting, in which voting districts are redrawn to reflect changes in the population, is next slated for 2021, after the results of the 2020 U.S. census are in.

Each state will be given a share of the 435 congressional seats based on population.

Historically, the distribution of seats has been based on total population, regardless of immigration status.

Trump's memo would exclude those not in the U.S. legally.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said in a statement the measure was "unlawful" and was "designed to again inject fear and distrust into vulnerable and traditionally undercounted communities, while sowing chaos with the Census."