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Congressional Republicans have passed a bill that requires a citizenship question on the decennial census. 

The bill, known as the Equal Representation Act, was approved with a narrow margin in a party-line vote of 206-202. This legislation mandates that the Census Bureau inquire about citizenship status and suggests that only citizens should count towards congressional apportionment.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) supported the bill, stating, “We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation.” He argued that it makes sense for only American citizens to be included in electoral apportionment calculations.

The proposal, however, has been met with strong opposition. Critics argue that adding a citizenship question could discourage participation in the census, particularly among noncitizens. Historically, the census aims to count all residents, regardless of citizenship, as stipulated by the Constitution, which mentions counting “the whole number of free persons.” Numerous efforts have been made to ensure noncitizens participate, emphasizing that census data is not used for immigration enforcement.

Democrats have voiced their dissent loudly. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) described the bill as “reckless, cynical, and frankly, illegal.” The Biden administration has also opposed the bill, noting that it could prevent the Census Bureau from fulfilling its constitutional duty to count every resident.