Native News
Removing Race From the 2030 Census Would Make Native People Harder to See
Opinion
Six years ago, as officials worked to get more Native people to complete the 2020 census, I wrote in Native News Online that we needed to overcome generations of distrust and participate fully to help produce an accurate count. I argued that filling out the census form was a way to demonstrate pride in our tribal communities.
Now, the Trump administration is proposing to remove questions about race and ethnicity from the decennial 2030 census questionnaire.
On Sept. 10, 2026, the Federal Register published a Census Bureau proposal that would prohibit questions about race, ethnicity or sexual orientation from the decennial census form and any questionnaire used to count the U.S. population.
This proposal is consistent with the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back federal policies and data practices involving race-conscious policies and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.
The Census Bureau proposal explicitly references President Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”
The bureau said the administration’s broader shift toward treating Americans without regard to race or ethnicity, combined with evolving legal debates, prompted it to reconsider whether race and ethnicity questions are necessary for the decennial census.
The proposal reads:
“These evolving discussions and understandings of the law have prompted the Census Bureau to revisit and reconsider the continued need to collect certain demographic data on the short-form decennial questionnaire.”
The proposal cites the administration’s DEI executive order alongside recent Supreme Court decisions concerning race and the concept of a “colorblind” Constitution.
If implemented, the removal of race and ethnicity questions from the decennial census questionnaire would fundamentally change how the United States counts and documents its Native population.
The decennial Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Section 2. Census population counts help determine how federal dollars are allocated and provide the basis for drawing congressional district lines in the United States.
At its core, the census is about money and power.
Money and power follow larger population counts; therefore, American Indians and Alaska Natives must make sure they are counted so the appropriate amount of money can flow into American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Over a decade, census data helps guide billions of dollars in federal spending across Indian Country for education, housing, employment, health and other essential needs, such as roads and infrastructure. Without an accurate count and detailed data about American Indians and Alaska Natives, federal money remains inadequate to address the severe needs in Indian Country.
It’s not just about money, though.
Census counts also impact the distribution of power in the United States because an accurate count of the population serves as the basis for political representation. State population counts from the decennial Census are used to reapportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The total of 435 seats never changes and is divided among the 50 states.
Late this past week, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) weighed in on the proposed changes to the 2030 Census form. The nation’s largest and oldest representative organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments said:
“The Census is more than a population count. Census data help shape political representation, federal funding decisions, policy development, and planning for essential programs and services across Indian Country. The proposed regulations may affect how American Indian and Alaska Native people and Tribal communities are counted and represented in federal data.”
NCAI has long emphasized the importance of accurate and usable census data for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. In a 2022 letter to the Census Bureau, NCAI warned that the 2020 Census had revealed systemic undercounts of AI/AN people and urged continued consultation with tribal nations in planning for the 2030 census.
The Native American Rights Fund (NARF), a national nonprofit legal organization that has represented Native people and tribal interests since 1970, also reacted to the proposed changes:
“For Native communities, losing detailed demographic data could make it harder to identify disparities, enforce voting and civil rights laws, and show where services and resources are needed.”
It is critical that tribal nations have a meaningful opportunity to review these proposals and ensure the federal government understands their potential impacts on Tribal citizens, communities, and sovereignty.
The proposed changes are not final.
The Census Bureau has notified tribal leaders that it will hold an upcoming virtual tribal consultation scheduled for October 2, 2026, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET. The consultation will be held through Microsoft Teams.
Citing the need to meet operational deadlines for the 2030 census, the bureau provided two weeks’ notice for the consultation rather than its customary 30 days.
There is also a public comment process. Comments from the general public are due Oct. 13. According to the consultation notice, tribal nations and tribal-serving organizations have until Nov. 2 to submit comments.
The comment period for the rulemaking has been extended for Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations only. The general public must provide comments by October 13, 2026, while Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations have until November 2, 2026, to provide comments.
To submit comments electronically: Visit Regulations.gov, search for docket number USBC-2026-0628, select the “Comment” option, and enter or attach your comments.
Submit comments by mail:
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Designation: ADDEMO/FRN
Washington, D.C. 20746
The proposed changes could have significant consequences for Indian Country. Native News Online urges tribal citizens, tribal nations and others concerned about accurate Native representation in federal data to participate in the public-comment process and tell the Census Bureau whether race and ethnicity questions should remain on the 2030 census form.
Thayék gde nwéndëmen – We are all related.
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