Bonta Leads Coalition Opposing Census Citizenship Rule

California and 23 other states challenge a proposed 2030 Census rule that would exclude millions of residents from the count.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Immigration

Bonta Leads Coalition Opposing Census Citizenship Rule

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors in submitting a comment letter opposing the Trump Administration's proposed changes to the 2030 Census. The proposal would exclude roughly 16.1 million people nationwide, including around 3 million California residents.

Why it matters

The rule would replace the census's usual-residence standard with a day-count test and exclude noncitizens, affecting how federal representation and funding are distributed across California. Because the census has counted people at their usual residence since 1790, the change marks a significant departure from long-standing practice.

The proposed rule would use a test based on where people lawfully spend the greatest number of days between January 3 and April 1, relying on tax records as evidence of residency. The coalition's letter opposes the exclusion of roughly 3 million California residents, more than 7.5% of the state's population.

The players

Rob Bonta

California's Attorney General, who co-led the coalition submitting the comment letter and has previously led state litigation against federal census changes.

U.S. Census Bureau

The federal agency responsible for conducting the decennial census and the proposed rule under review.

The details

The coalition's comment letter opposes proposed rules that would exclude noncitizens, including undocumented immigrants, people on temporary visas, refugees, asylum seekers, and certain U.S. nationals. The proposal would also prohibit questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

March 2018: California filed the first lawsuit against the Trump Administration over adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
June 2019: The Supreme Court sent the citizenship question case back to lower courts.
July 2019: The Administration abandoned its effort to add a citizenship question.
August 2019: A federal court permanently blocked the citizenship question.
November 2, 2026: The comment letter was submitted.

Legal Context

California first sued the Trump Administration in March 2018 over adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, a fight that ended when a federal court permanently blocked the question in August 2019. The new 2030 proposal revives the same core dispute over who counts in the national population.

If finalized, the rule would change how census counts are determined for California residents, potentially affecting congressional representation and the distribution of federal funds tied to population. Residents who split time between states or who are noncitizens could be counted differently than under the current usual-residence standard.

The takeaway

The census determines political representation and federal resources for a decade, so changes to who is counted carry lasting consequences for California communities. Following the comment period and any final rule is the best way to track how the count may change.