The Trump administration has proposed removing questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation from the U.S. census, prompting concerns from health and civil rights advocates about the potential impacts on efforts to address social and economic inequities nationwide, including in Chicago. The U.S. Census Bureau’s proposal argues that the census should be “colorblind” and free from inquiries about characteristics it deems immaterial to the process.

Race has been a consistent part of the census since its inception in 1790. Data on racial and ethnic demographics have historically served as critical tools for enforcing voting rights, monitoring disparities, and tracking minority and women’s representation. Advocates warn that eliminating these questions could undermine a broad range of programs aimed at reducing disparities in healthcare, housing, and education.

Lez Trujillo Torres, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Illinois Chicago, highlighted the significance of race in social and economic systems. She noted that removing race from census data does not erase racial disparities but rather obscures them, making it more challenging for policymakers to identify and address inequalities across various sectors.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, early data revealed that Black and Hispanic residents in Chicago had lower vaccination rates and experienced higher hospitalization and mortality rates compared to white residents. Health officials used race-based data to focus vaccination efforts on vulnerable minority populations through mobile clinics and targeted outreach, alongside considerations such as age and preexisting conditions.

Critics, including analysts at the Cato Institute, argue that policies prioritizing vaccinations based on race contravene constitutional principles of equal protection, advocating instead for criteria such as occupational risk or medical vulnerability.

Healthcare practitioners stress the value of racial data in tackling specific health issues. Dr. Lewis Hsu, director of the Pediatric Sickle Cell Center at the University of Illinois Chicago, pointed to sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects African Americans, as a condition where census data helps direct medical resources and screenings. Without accurate demographic mapping, efforts to provide care in affected communities could be compromised.

Similarly, Sonya Grier, a marketing scholar at American University, expressed concern that eliminating race and ethnicity questions would hinder efforts to identify and alleviate “food deserts” and other disparities evident through census data. She described the potential change as “a huge loss,” emphasizing the importance of demographic data for effective service delivery.

The proposal also seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census count, counting only citizens and lawful permanent residents. Supporters argue this adjustment would align congressional representation with legal residents, while opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union, contend it violates the constitutional mandate to count all individuals regardless of status, risking reductions in services for immigrant-heavy communities.

While the Census Bureau operates under the authority of the president to implement the census, the U.S. Constitution charges Congress with conducting the decennial population count and determining census rules. The outcome of the upcoming Nov. 3 elections may influence the future direction of this proposal, which is slated to apply starting with the 2030 census. The administration is currently accepting public comments on the plan through Nov. 2.