Census Bureau to Test Citizenship Question for 2030 Census

Experts raise concerns over potential changes to the once-a-decade headcount

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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The U.S. Census Bureau plans to use a survey form with a citizenship question as part of its practice test for the 2030 census, raising questions about whether the Trump administration might try to make a significant change to the once-a-decade headcount that failed during the president's first term.

Why it matters

The inclusion of a citizenship question on the census has been a contentious issue, with the Supreme Court blocking the Trump administration's attempt to add it to the 2020 census. This latest move by the Census Bureau raises concerns that the administration may try to revive the effort to collect citizenship data and potentially exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment process.

The details

The field test being conducted in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, is using questions from the American Community Survey, the comprehensive survey of American life, rather than questions from recent census forms. Among the questions on the ACS is one that asks, 'Is this person a citizen of the United States?' Questions for the census haven't included a citizenship question in 75 years.

  • The field test is scheduled to take place in 2026 as a practice run for the 2030 census.
  • In his first term, President Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census form.

The players

U.S. Census Bureau

The federal agency responsible for conducting the decennial census and other surveys.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who unsuccessfully tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

Joe Biden

The current U.S. president who rescinded Trump's orders related to the census after taking office.

Terri Ann Lowenthal

A former congressional staffer who consults on census issues and expressed concern over the 2026 field test.

Mark Mather

An associate vice president at the Population Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan research group, who commented on the use of the ACS questions in the field test.

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What they’re saying

“This full pivot from a real field test is alarming and deserves immediate congressional attention, in my view.”

— Terri Ann Lowenthal, Former congressional staffer and census consultant (ksgf.com)

“The ACS form wouldn't provide a valid test of 2030 census operations. It's a completely different animal.”

— Mark Mather, Associate Vice President, Population Reference Bureau (ksgf.com)

What’s next

The Census Bureau has not responded to inquiries about why the ACS questions were being used for the 2026 field test. Congress may choose to investigate the Bureau's decision and its potential implications for the 2030 census.

The takeaway

The Census Bureau's plan to use a citizenship question in its 2026 field test raises concerns that the Trump administration may try to revive its effort to collect citizenship data and potentially exclude undocumented immigrants from the apportionment process, despite the Supreme Court's previous rejection of the citizenship question.