Census Proposed Rule Opposition

At a glance

What: Council resolution urging the U.S. Census Bureau to withdraw a proposed rule (91 FR 57524, published September 10, 2026) that would remove race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 Census and collect citizenship or immigration status.
Where it stands: Adopted October 6, 2026 (resolution 10-485-26), 6-0, Paris absent.
Next: City Clerk authorized to file the resolution as a public comment on Docket No. USBC-2026-0628 at regulations.gov no later than October 13, 2026. The minutes do not record the filing itself.

Motion by Hammoud, supported by O'Reilly.
Council's stated concerns: undercounts and loss of race and ethnicity data used for Voting Rights Act and civil rights enforcement; fear among immigrant families, including naturalized citizens; a proposed apportionment count limited to citizens and lawful permanent residents, which the resolution says conflicts with the Fourteenth Amendment's "whole number of persons" language; a redefinition of "usual residence" based on tax records that could miss students, people experiencing homelessness and residents of group homes or shelters.
Funding stakes cited: more than $2.8 trillion a year across roughly 350 federal programs, and a claim that Michigan stands to lose $1,800 per uncounted person per year for a decade.
Immediate effect. Passed 6-0 (Abraham, Alsawafy, Enos, Hammoud, O'Reilly, Sareini yes; Paris absent).

Resolution urging withdrawal of the proposed rule adopted 6-0; clerk authorized to submit it as a public comment by October 13.