Do census figures for congressional redistricting count citizens, or legal residents as well?

Question

If they count both, then what will the impact of the immigration bill be if it passes?

(I suppose congressional apportionments do count people who can't vote - they count minors, for one.)

Answer 1

Census are supposed to count every person (in the best of their ability) that lives in a country regardless their status. Some illegal immigrants avoid the census because they are afraid of deportation. Unfortunately, that affects many reforms, studies and calculations that the government needs to do.
What I remember reading a while ago is that there are 40 million Hispanics or Hispanic descendants in US (legal and illegals) and about half of that number are Mexican or Mexican descendants. I personally think it is a even larger number and the government is not fully aware of that..How this will affect our country..well, in every single aspect you can think of... The illegals are no supposed to vote, but they all rent apartments, buy cars and houses with fake papers, etc...I will not be surprised if they actually vote with their fakes everything...plus, their children are citizens because they are born here so, eventually they will vote. Very good question!! This is a very big and complex problem....

Answer 2

The census counts residents of the nation. This includes many people who aren't citizens, and some who entered the country illegally but who are not afraid of detection by virtue of filling out the form. If undocumented immigrants get Z cards, official headcounts will go up, and some redistricting will occur. However, the parties are so good at gerrymandering now that I believe there will be little net effect.

Answer 3

That's an interesting question! I know that some areas have a larger immigrant population than others. I live in Arkansas, and believe it or not, but we actually have a VERY large population of Hispanic immigrants. In fact, many of them work in our restaurants and in our poultry farms.