California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined 21 other attorneys general in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce, opposing recent changes proposed by the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2026 Operational Test in preparation for the 2030 Census. The coalition criticizes the inclusion of a citizenship question in the test survey and other planned modifications, which they argue could affect the integrity and accuracy of census preparations.
The operational tests are standard practice before each decennial census, allowing new methods and procedures to be evaluated. However, this year’s proposal includes using a longer questionnaire with a citizenship question, conducting tests at only two sites instead of six, and having United States Postal Service workers conduct in-person interviews rather than Census Bureau employees.
Attorney General Bonta stated: “President Trump has repeatedly attempted to politicize the census. During his first term in office, he tried adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, but my office sued and the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately blocked that unlawful effort. Last year, he posted on social media that he did not want all individuals, regardless of immigration status, to be counted in the 2030 Census — even though the U.S. Constitution clearly requires it. And now, his Census Bureau wants to move forward with a test survey that not only includes a citizenship question and other problematic changes, but that also undermines proper preparation for the 2030 Census,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We have fought tooth and nail to ensure that California receives both the congressional representation and federal funding we are entitled to. With today’s comment letter, my fellow attorneys general and I are continuing to stand up for the rule of law and calling out the Trump Administration for jeopardizing a fair and accurate 2030 Census. The proposed changes are illegal and must be withdrawn.”
The letter outlines several concerns:
– The notice announcing these changes does not meet procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), as it was issued as a notice rather than as a proposed rule.
– The plan uses questions from the American Community Survey (ACS), which differ significantly from those on recent census forms; ACS questionnaires take more time to complete.
– Including a citizenship question may reduce response rates among non-citizen communities as well as Hispanic and Asian populations.
– Using USPS staff instead of trained Census workers raises confidentiality concerns since postal workers are not legally bound by strict data privacy rules required of Census employees.
– The selected test sites—Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Huntsville, Alabama—do not align with criteria intended to improve response rates among hard-to-count groups.
Attorney General Bonta leads California’s chief law enforcement agency according to its official website, overseeing state law enforcement efforts across California and promoting civil rights policies. The office is responsible for enforcing state laws and protecting public safety while advancing initiatives in consumer protection.
Bonta joins attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin in submitting this comment letter.
