Illegal immigrants are counted in a US census.

Illegal immigrants are counted in the U.S. Census as part of the total population residing in the country on Census Day.

FAQs • Who is counted by the census?
Source: cityofsthelena.gov

FAQs • Who is counted by the census?
Source: cityofsthelena.gov

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified August 13, 2025

The Census Bureau counts every person living in the country on Census Day, including undocumented immigrants.cityofsthelena.gov
The 14th Amendment requires counting the whole number of persons in each state, which includes illegal immigrants.npr.org
Political debates exist about excluding illegal immigrants, but current census practices still include them.foxnews.com

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

The U.S. Census Bureau counts every person living in the United States on Census Day, regardless of their immigration status. This includes citizens, legal residents, and undocumented immigrants. The constitutional mandate under the 14th Amendment requires counting the "whole number of persons" in each state for apportionment and redistricting purposes.

The Census aims to count all residents where they usually live and sleep, which includes undocumented immigrants.

Attempts to exclude illegal immigrants or add citizenship questions have been politically contentious but have not changed the fundamental practice of counting all residents.

This inclusive counting affects congressional representation and allocation of federal resources.

Therefore, despite political debates and proposals to exclude illegal immigrants, the official practice remains to count them in the census population totals.

Primary trail