WASHINGTON — On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he has directed the Commerce Department to alter the data collection methods of the Census Bureau, aiming to exclude immigrants residing illegally in the United States.

The Republican president noted on his social media platform that the data gathered by the census will rely on “contemporary facts and figures, and importantly, utilize insights gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” signaling a possible attempt to infuse his political agendas into an array of surveys measuring aspects like child poverty and business operations.

Trump stressed that as part of the changes people in “our Country illegally” will be excluded from census counts.

This message on Truth Social aligns with a consistent approach by Trump to tailor fundamental measures of U.S. societal well-being to his preferences, encompassing everything from employment statistics to the redrawing of congressional districts for the 2026 midterm elections.

Adjustments to the census may also support Trump’s push for several Republican-governed states, such as Texas, to adjust their congressional maps ahead of the usual schedule to strengthen GOP candidates’ positions.

Typically, redistricting happens every decade after the census as states reevaluate and modify district lines according to population shifts, which can lead to gaining or losing seats.

Despite Texas having redrawn its maps just a few years ago, Trump is pressuring Republicans in the state to redistrict again, claiming they are “entitled” to five additional Republican seats. Texas Republicans have cited population growth as justification for redrawing the congressional map.

Trump’s team is also engaged in similar redistricting discussions in other GOP-controlled states, including Missouri and Indiana.

Last Friday, Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after standard revisions to the monthly jobs report showed that employers added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in May and June. The revisions suggested that hiring has severely weakened under Trump, undermining his claims of an economic boom.

The White House insists that the problem was the size of the revisions and that it wants accurate numbers.

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