By Dale Wilcox
The counting of illegal aliens as part of the decennial U.S. Census is one of the most under-discussed aspects of illegal immigration, but it represents a major threat to the future of American democracy.
As currently constituted, the census counts everyone currently living in the U.S., regardless of their citizenship or legal status. The results establish the number of electoral votes and congressional seats allocated to each state. So, while illegal aliens and all noncitizens are legally banned from voting in federal elections, they are still allowed to legally impact elections through the census. Given that more than seven million illegal aliens have entered the U.S. over the past three years, we can expect illegal aliens to have an outsized influenced on both the electoral college and the House of Representatives after the counting of the next census occurs in 2030. This is a crisis of democracyas well as a crisis of sovereignty.
Even if one buys into the dubious notion that all of the many millions of illegal aliens who currently reside in the country are following the law and not voting in federal elections, their presence in the country could still potentially be decisive in elections. Take the state of New Jersey, for example. A recent study from the Garden State found that almost 1-in-10 New Jersey residents are illegal aliens. This means that nearly 1/10th of New Jersey’s electoral college votes and 1/10th of its House representation after 2030 could be the result of illegal immigration, and New Jersey is not even a border state. Imagine the impact illegal immigration may have on the census results in states like California, Arizona, or Texas.
All of this violates the sacred principle that American elections must be decided by American citizens and American citizens only. Illegal aliens may not be a voting bloc, but they are a large bloc with growing influence on the outcome of American elections.
The Trump Administration attempted to remedy this problem by adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, but were ultimately foiled when the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, sided with anti-border activists in blocking the question from appearing on that year’s census. This ill-founded ruling guaranteed that states across the country would have their number of congressional seats and electoral college votes inflated or deflated by illegal immigration for the duration of the 2020s.
According to a 2020 study, Texas, Florida, and California each have one more congressional seat than they would have if illegal aliens had not been counted in the most recent census, while Alabama, Minnesota, and Ohio each have one less seat as a result. This may not sound like much, but it is not too difficult to imagine control of Congress or the presidency coming down to a handful of seats or electoral college votes, in which case illegal aliens will have proven decisive in deciding the composition of the U.S. government.
This is an obvious problem because the U.S. government is supposed to represent the interests of U.S. citizens. If members of Congress or even a president know they are reliant on illegal aliens for their position, their priorities will be much different as a result. This is not compatible with the core tenets of American democracy, and the situation will grow direr if illegal aliens are allowed to be counted in the next census. The illegal alien population has skyrocketed in the last few years, so the effects of illegal immigration on the allocation of Congressional seats and Electoral College votes would be much greater in 2030 than they were in 2020.
Seeking to head this problem off, the House passed legislation earlier this month that would mandate a citizenship question be added to the 2030 census, but the bill has little chance of becoming law. Anti-borders interests who have facilitated the crisis at the border understand they have the ability to dramatically remake the American electorate without changing a single law. Without any changes to the current census regime, illegal aliens will have a significant impact on U.S. elections for generations to come, even if not a single one of them were to vote.
Counting illegal aliens on the census threatens to upend U.S. elections, makes a mockery of our system of government, and threatens the sovereignty of American citizens. The next census must ensure the U.S. government is accountable only to U.S. citizens, and no one else.
Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel at the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.
I’m so tired of the democrats getting away with bullying, stealing, demanding, LYING, walking over the rest of us, allowing people to come across the border to steal votes and make a joke out of America. I can’t be the only one who feels that way! Why can’t this be stopped! Why can’t we stop them, I know there’s enough people to stand together and take back what they have taken from us!!I SO TIRED OF THEIR B$%%$€₩t, I could scream ????
I swear this sure seems like treason to me. Biden needs to be REMOVED from office for failing to uphold his oath of office at the VERY least.
Not only this. Americans have short memories ofFederal “bailouts” of bankrupt blue states that fund everything illegal for illegals. Forcing red states, not sanctuaries for illegals to pick up the tab via Federal taxation, federal use of red state tax dollars for blue state bailouts when red states would never put that same tax obligation in their own citizens.
The Socialist Democrats must be stopped at all cost! They must answer for their failures! If John F. Kennedy was still living he would demand the same!
I had a nice answer all written when my wifi went dead. The bottom line was with all this counting of illegals is another way of destroying America. That ole Joe lies as well if not better than Cohen and that ole Joe should join him in jail. Between the two of them they are working on taking down America and the best president America ever had. A man for America and the people. President Donald J Trump.
Why do you think they were secretly putting border crossing illegals on airplanes, busses, etc. They (the Democrats) knew what they were doing. Distributing numbers to increase their seats in Washington. Been the plan all along.
…and half the country support these people? Amazing, isn’t it? Remember when they used to be secretive about revealing motives? They’re so blatant now doing this because they know they have their loyal party support and a press that is on their teat!
This dovetails into the question of birthright citizenship. Both were placed into the Constitution to build up the population of a nation. We don’t need to consider this anymore. Both should be revised to reward legal citizenship. Further, Motor/Voter needs to be seriously restricted. Illegal immigrants should have NO right to hold a driver’s license in the U.S.
I am so very worried about our country. Our current administration certainly talks a lot about what they deem to be threats to our democracy but would never think this was! It’s all about power. It is sad to see what has happened to most Democrats in Washington. I’m not saying that all Democrats are like this but so many believe that all Republicans are represented by Trump and because they hate him, they believe Republicans should never be in power.
This good article underscores the fact that there are too many “Democrats” in office. Those who voted for them are the most unfocused and mentally deficient citizens in our country’s history. Because they are evidently unable to rationally observe political events OR invoke any mental or intellectual discipline whatsoever, we cannot afford to allow them to influence elections any longer. Accommodating their “choices” is like allowing a 5-year-old to pilot a full-capacity 747.
,duh. they are NOT american citizens. can we vote in their countries? of course not
They should be counted as non citizens and should no affect on congressional districts or the number of seats!
Democracy, democracy, democracy, I get so tired of hearing that term applied to our country, but I guess it is true since 1913 when the 17th Amendment was enacted and changed how Senators are chosen. A big safeguard on how our federal government’s legislative makeup was upended. Read the first paragraph of Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution. The sovereign States were represented in the Senate by those chosen by the State legislatures and the public of each State was and is represented by the members elected to the House. By electing members of both the House and Senate by popular vote, we became a democracy and democracies, throughout history have failed and fallen, most time violently.
if you didn’t come to the U.S.A. thru legal immigration process you have no rights period, end of discussion. NO one has the right to be counted unless they have legal documentation that they are a legal citizen PERIOD. ALL OTHERS SHOULD BE DEPORTED SOONER THAN LATER.
when a state gains population- sufficient to add a new congressman. another state LOSES a representative. Congress/House is limited to 435 members. If for example- Texas gains 10% population via illegals- and that is enough to create a new district- some other state LOST a representative- say California. Bet $$$ that the lost rep will be a Conservative.. and the new rep will be Democrat…
It’s the United States census! Besides you can count any and all people living in the U.S.. but non documented people cannot change the district mapping! Or counted for any sanctioned benefits.
Is there another country on this planet that would allow this kind of stunt? Blatant open border policy for the sole purpose of political supremacy is just evil, and makes a mockery of everything America stands for, or at least used to stand for.
The big problem with the diversity and inclusion push is that it obscures simple reality.
Absolutely NOT!!!
No noncitizen should have any right to Vote or get the Benefits of American Citizens
NO! NO! NO! SHOULD NOT EVEN BE A TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION! DEMORATS SHOULD BE DEPORTED ALONG WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS FOR TRYING TO MANIPULATE VOTING
The illegal immigrant crisis has always been about changing the demographics of the states to do two things, get more votes and more seats in the House of Representatives. I am hearing that there is nothing in federal law to stop the illegal immigrants from voting. They have Obama on video urging the illegals to go out and vote. The Democrats have every intention of giving the illegals the right to vote. That is the whole point of them opening up the floodgates. Either way they enhance their power grip on the federal government. Shoving the illegals into blue states and adding them to the Census rolls gives the Democrats more seats to outvote the Republicans from the Red states. Shoving them into Red states and giving them the right to vote is their scheme to turn the whole country Blue. It is putting such a strain on everything that most of the states are going broke spending taxpayers’ money to support the illegals that there is nothing left to support the citizens. This craziness has to stop!
All these are GREAT comments everyone should read!
We all know that if democrats can’t cheat and lie, they can’t win. They know they do it, we know they do it, so why do they always get away with it? To read their play book, read Rule for Radicals by Saul Alynski. It explains exactly what they are doing and why it works
Also what about children born to illegals would allow them to vote?
Someone wrote the cost of illegals in 2023 was $150.7 billion dollars. There obviously is much more now hidden paid or contracted for the govrnment.
For all citizens (333 million) it equates to $479,000 per citizen. Contributing to an illegal act is also illegal, so paying taxpayer money is illegal.
Reported that 47 percent of the citizens pay taxes, meaning that fifty-three percent do not. So the 47 percent are being taxed for this not all. Don’t do it, you are participating in an illegal act.
Sees accurate, what do you think?
Brought to us bynthe 2 greatest americans ever. Tweedle Dee and Twredle FDum. Hey out there. Keep that going. Kyle L.
Just don,t count democraps and left wngers….
hello
There was the McCain compromise which would have allowed the good immigrants to become citizens and the bad immigrants to be deported, but the progressives and the tea party got together and destroyed the bill and left us where we are now where it’s easy to get in while it’s a long and cumbersome process to become a citizen or even get a job. The progressives and MAGA plan on doing nothing except obstructing.