Trump, DeSantis want illegal immigrants excluded from population count

President Donald Trump and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advocated to redo the U.S. census ahead of the 2026 midterm election during a Tuesday presser.

The Census Bureau includes illegal immigrants in its count and congressional seats are based on the data from the census, according to the bureau’s website. Asked about a forthcoming bill that would mandate the Census Bureau to revise the census to only include citizens, both Trump and DeSantis backed the effort. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Chip Roy, Sen. Ted Cruz Introduce Legislation To Bar Illegal Immigrants From Voting In DC)

WATCH:

“Well, I’ll speak for both of us. We love it … I know all about it … Ron would love it, I would love it, [Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi [Noem] would love it,” Trump said. “That’s what they have to do, they have to bring it back. And we have to look. You know, Ron, they include anybody that happens to be in your state.”

“California would lose like five seats if they did a fair census,” DeSantis replied, adding “I would love for them to redo the census for ’26. My legislature will redistrict those lines, we’ll get it to where it’s fair. But as it’s right now, this country is not fairly apportioned. I’ve got so many more millions of people in Florida that have representation because of that flawed census.”

The president also predicted the bill would pass.

“I think it’s gonna do very well … It’s captivated the country. Everybody wants it,” he said. “It’s gonna get in, it’s gonna pass and we’re gonna be very happy.”

Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X Monday that she had just spoken to Trump about the bill she plans to introduce and explained what it would do.

“My bill will require the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct a new census immediately upon enactment of the bill,” Greene wrote. “In conducting the new census of the U.S. population, it shall require questions determining the citizenship of each individual, and count US citizens only.”

“Upon completion of the census, the bill will direct states to immediately begin a redistricting of all U.S. House seats process using only the population of United States citizens,” she added.

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