January 23, 2021
By repealing Trump Census order on unauthorized immigrants, Biden just gave Texas GOP an extra House seat, or two
Hours after taking office, President Joe Biden handed Texas a huge gift that went mostly unnoticed, overshadowed by more controversial moves on climate, public health and the border wall. He reversed Donald Trump’s policy of excluding unauthorized immigrants from the Census count used to carve up the country into congressional districts
Lloyd Potter, Texas’ state demographer, took it a step further. Biden’s new policy isn’t just a gift for Texas. It’s a gift especially for Texas Republicans, since they control the Legislature and Governor’s mansion, and wield the knife that cuts the growing pie. “Whatever party’s in power maximizes the number of seats for the party,” Potter said. Under Trump’s proposal, “We definitely wouldn’t have gotten three. Maybe as few as one. It would certainly have diluted our representation.”