Missouri Sues to Prevent Illegal Aliens From Being Counted in US Census

Missouri filed a lawsuit Friday aimed at preventing illegal aliens and temporary visa holders from being counted in future U.S. censuses.

A news release from Attorney General Catherine Hanaway described the action as the most significant election lawsuit in a generation. It was filed against the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Commerce and demands a recount of the 2020 Census.

The suit accuses both agencies of allowing illegal immigrants to compromise American elections.

“The State of Missouri and its voters can no longer ignore the ongoing denial of their right to self-government and fair representation,” Hanaway said in the news release. “United States citizens and lawful permanent residents have a right to representation, unlike illegal aliens and temporary visa holders.”

American citizens are the only source of the government’s power, the Missouri attorney general said.

The current policy by the Census Bureau and Commerce Department of counting illegal aliens in the census is both unlawful and unconstitutional, according to the state attorney general’s office.

Representation in the federal government is removed from states that uphold immigration laws, while so-called sanctuary states, such as California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland, are rewarded with more congressional seats, electoral votes, and funding, Hanaway’s office said.

Hundreds of federal programs rely on accurate census counts to allocate funds.

Illegal aliens and temporary visa holders have been counted in U.S. censuses since 1980, starting under former President Jimmy Carter’s administration. This action went against the framers of the U.S. Constitution and 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in the United States, had in mind for America, according to the news release.

“[Framers] could never have imagined an absurd system where 15 million illegal alien trespassers would receive representation in Congress and the Electoral College,” the news release stated.

Hanaway’s lawsuit requests the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri to declare that the inclusion of illegal aliens and temporary visa holders in the 2020 Census and 2021 Apportionment base violated the 14th Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

Additionally, the attorney general is requesting the court declare that including illegal aliens and temporary visa holders in the 2030 Census and 2031 Apportionment would violate federal law.

“Missouri and the American people will continue to be robbed of fair representation in the House of Representatives, the Electoral College, and federal funding if corrective action is not taken,” the news release said.

The U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.