By repealing Trump Census order on unauthorized immigrants, Biden just gave Texas GOP an extra House seat, or two Todd J. Gillman, The Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON Hours after taking office, President Joe Biden handed Texas a huge gift that went mostly unnoticed, overshadowed by more controversial moves on climate, public health and the border wall.
He reversed Donald Trump’s policy of excluding unauthorized immigrants from the Census count used to carve up the country into congressional districts.
Texas has almost 2 million such residents out of nearly 30 million – enough extra people to bring billions in federal largesse over the next decade, and add considerably to its clout in the U.S. House.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday planned to officially dissolve efforts to keep undocumented immigrants from being counted in the distribution of congressional districts. Credit: Gabriele Holtermann/Sipa USA via REUTERS
Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
The Trump administration’s protracted efforts to keep some immigrants from being counted when congressional seats are divvied up after the 2020 census ended with the former president’s departure from the White House, but President Joe Biden s administration inherits a census running far behind schedule.
Among his first acts after being inaugurated, Biden on Wednesday is expected to sign an executive order undoing his predecessor’s plan to keep undocumented immigrants from being included in the state-by-state tallies that determine how those living in the U.S. are represented in Congress for the next 10 years.