A recent Rasmussen Reports poll shows that a majority of likely voters support former President Donald Trump’s call for a new U.S. census. The survey, conducted August 11–13, found that 57% of likely voters approve of Trump’s proposal, including 36% who strongly approve. In contrast, 34% disapprove, with 24% strongly opposed.

A key point of debate is whether illegal immigrants should be included in the census count. According to the poll, 52% of voters believe they should be excluded, while 36% disagree. Among those who favor excluding undocumented immigrants, 74% support Trump’s proposed new census. Support splits sharply along party lines: 83% of Republicans approve, compared to 43% of Democrats and 49% of independents.

Trump announced on social media that the new census would exclude noncitizens, marking a significant departure from how the census has been conducted historically. He directed the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, to begin preparations immediately. However, legal authority over the census lies with Congress, and the 14th Amendment requires that the “whole number of persons” in each state be counted, regardless of citizenship status.

While the Commerce Department is permitted to conduct a mid-decade census, such a count cannot be used to change congressional representation or Electoral College votes. Trump’s push coincides with Republican-backed legislation aimed at excluding noncitizens from the count and initiating redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The proposal has already drawn opposition. The American Civil Liberties Union, which previously challenged Trump’s 2020 census actions, indicated that new legal challenges may be on the horizon. The ACLU argues that excluding undocumented immigrants would violate both the Constitution and established legal precedent.