AACRAO Joins Community Letter Opposing Proposed Changes to Decennial Census

On September 10, 2026, the U.S. Census Bureau proposed a rule that would enact two major changes to the way the decennial census is administered. First, the proposed rule would allow for the inclusion of permanent residents within the apportionment base, which affects how congressional districts are drawn, while excluding all “illegal aliens” and individuals whose legal status is “less durable and indefinite in length than lawful permanent resident status.” Secondly, the proposed rule would prohibit questions about race and ethnicity or sexual orientation. AACRAO joined a group of higher education associations in raising concerns that these changes would compromise Census data as a foundational data source and also disproportionately harm minority groups.