Collecting Information About Citizenship Status in Connection With the Decennial Census

Impact dates

1. Date TBD

   Commerce Secretary to consider administrative process for 2030 census citizenship question

2. Date TBD

   Commerce Secretary to consider expanding American Community Survey distribution

3. Jul 11, 2019

   Agencies to promptly provide maximum assistance to Commerce Department

4. Jul 11, 2019

   Interagency working group establishment

Key directives

• All agencies shall promptly provide maximum assistance permissible to Commerce Department for citizenship data
• DHS USCIS to provide National-level file of Lawful Permanent Residents and Naturalizations
• DHS ICE to provide F1 & M1 Nonimmigrant Visas records
• DHS to provide Customs and Border Arrival/Departure transaction data
• DHS and State Department to provide Refugee and Asylum visas data
• State Department to provide National-level passport application data
• Social Security Administration to provide Master Beneficiary Records
• HHS to provide CMS Medicaid and CHIP Information System data
• Census Bureau Director to establish interagency working group to obtain citizenship records for 100% of population
• Commerce Secretary to consider initiating administrative process for citizenship question on 2030 decennial census
• Commerce Secretary to consider regulatory changes for citizenship data in other Census Bureau surveys
• Commerce Secretary to consider expanding American Community Survey distribution beyond 2.5% of households

Who is ordered

• Secretary of Commerce · Department of Commerce
• Attorney General · Department of Justice
• Secretary of Homeland Security · Department of Homeland Security
• Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services · Department of Homeland Security
• Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement · Department of Homeland Security
• Secretary of State · Department of State
• Commissioner of Social Security · Social Security Administration
• Secretary of Health and Human Services · Department of Health and Human Services
• Director of the Census Bureau · Department of Commerce
• Director of the Office of Management and Budget · Office of Management and Budget

Timeline

Risks & tensions

• Interagency data sharing may face legal barriers under existing privacy statutes; EO explicitly limits to 'maximum extent consistent with law'
• Title 13 confidentiality protections are asserted but data integration across agencies creates technical and trust risks
• State record access negotiations ongoing and uncertain; no enforcement mechanism specified
• 2030 census considerations are non-binding ('shall consider') with no deadline
• Potential chilling effect on census participation despite explicit non-enforcement pledge
• Vague 'promptly' timeline for agency compliance without specific day counts