President Trump and allies are backing a lawsuit brought by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway to stop the census from counting illegal immigrants, a move she says could shift 11 to 14 congressional seats and federal funding from states like New York and California to Missouri, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Hanaway argued the Constitution was intended to count citizens and lawful permanent residents, not undocumented immigrants, and said the legal challenge could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. She framed the lawsuit as a long-term effort that could influence representation before the 2030 census, joining similar cases filed by Louisiana and other states targeting noncitizens in apportionment counts.
The legal push continues a broader effort to reshape apportionment rules, first attempted after the 2020 census but reversed under Joe Biden. Hanaway said excluding illegal immigrants could have a lasting impact on the balance of power in Congress and future presidential elections.
