Ruben Gallego leads demand to reverse changes in the 2026 Census test
Senator Ruben Gallego leads proponents demanding reversal of changes to the 2026 Census test that could affect communities and federal funds
Senator Ruben Gallego and 65 members of Congress sent a letter to the Department of Commerce alerting them to proposed changes to the 2026 Census Operational Test, a crucial exercise in preparing for the Census of 2030. Lawmakers stated that the changes could prevent an accurate count of all Americans and affect the allocation of federal funds, political representation, and democracy for the next decade.
Reduction of sites and questioned questionnaires
These measures, note, could produce unrepresentative results, discourage participation from immigrant and minority communities, and raise legal and privacy concerns.
Impact on Latino and tribal communities
Senator Gallego emphasized that eliminating sites on the Fort Apache and San Carlos Apache reservations in Arizona and adding the citizenship question could intimidate US citizens in immigrant families, leaving tens of thousands of people uncounted and affecting local funding and representation for 10 years. "The Census decides where power and resources go in this country. We cannot allow this to happen," the lawmaker stated.
Demands to the Department of Commerce
The formal letter requests the department to:
Lawmakers emphasize that every person not counted in 2030 represents decades of lost resources for schools, hospitals, and housing in their communities.
Census and Demographic Justice
The group argues that the 2026 test is critical to correcting errors in the 2020 Census, which significantly underestimated Latino, African American, and tribal communities, as well as children under five. They point out that limiting the test to areas with low immigrant populations could obscure the true impact of the citizenship question and the resulting undercount. Furthermore,They warn that the participation of postal workers as enumerators raises concerns about data confidentiality under Title 13 protections.
Call for transparency and review
Lawmakers emphasize that the census belongs to all Americans and that the 2026 pilot test must ensure reliable data for the 2030 Census, preventing undercounting errors from recurring and ensuring that all communities are seen and counted.