Trump-Appointed Officials Re-Examine Biden Administration’s Census Racial Category Updates
Former Trump administration officials are currently reviewing changes made to U.S. Census Bureau racial and ethnic categories under the Biden administration, sparking concerns about potential reversals to updates advocates say are crucial for accurate demographic data. The review, lead by Russell Vought, former director of the Office of Management and Budget under president Trump, centers on revisions to the way the Census Bureau classifies race and ethnicity, including proposed new categories and alterations to existing ones.
The examination raises the possibility of undoing changes designed to better reflect the evolving identities of the American population, potentially impacting federal funding allocations, civil rights enforcement, and political representation. These revisions, finalized in late 2023, were the result of a multi-year public consultation process and aimed to provide more granular and inclusive data. The outcome of the review could substantially alter how the nation understands and measures its diversity.
The changes under scrutiny include proposals for separate categories for people of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent, and also updates to the definitions of “White” and “Black” populations. Currently, individuals identifying with MENA backgrounds are classified as White, a categorization advocates argue obscures their distinct experiences and needs.
“At stake is a more accurate and deeper understanding of the communities that comprise our country,” says Meeta Anand, senior director of census and data equity at the Leadership Conference on Civil and human Rights. “I am not concerned if it’s reviewed in an honest attempt to understand what the process was. I am concerned if it’s for a predetermined outcome that would be to ignore the entire process that was done in a very obvious manner.”
Robert Santos, who resigned as U.S. Census Bureau director on february 14, previously testified before the House Oversight Committee in December 2024 regarding these proposed changes. The review’s findings and any subsequent actions could have far-reaching consequences for demographic research and policy decisions for years to come.
