Census

A Trump administration proposal to remove race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 Census is alarming Arab American advocates, who had expected a new Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) category to debut after decades of organizing. The federal government approved MENA as a distinct classification in March 2024, ending a long practice of counting Arab Americans as white, with implementation expected by March 2029. Michigan, home to large Arab American communities in Dearborn, Detroit and Flint, has much at stake.

The proposal would strip race, ethnicity and sexual orientation questions from the decennial questionnaire, with the Census Bureau arguing this protects privacy and boosts participation; detailed demographics would still be gathered via the American Community Survey. Advocates, including the Arab American Heritage Council and former federal policy manager Adam Beddawi, say that survey cannot replace a full population count used for funding and civil rights advocacy. A second provision would exclude certain noncitizens from congressional apportionment counts. Public comments are open through Nov. 2, and the proposal has not been finalized.

Illinois and California lawmakers have introduced legislation to block the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) from closing its Chicago and San Francisco/San Bruno facilities, a plan first disclosed to staff in a June email. The Chicago site, many of whose records are undigitized and accessible only in person, holds documents including Pullman Strike court cases, Bureau of Indian Affairs files, and naturalization and census records used by researchers, genealogists and citizenship applicants.

Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García sent a letter to the Archivist of the United States demanding the closure be halted, signed by 20 members of Congress including Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and backed by California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. Durbin and Duckworth also introduced the National Archives Protection Act, which would require congressional approval before NARA can close or restrict access to regional facilities; a companion House bill was filed by Rep. Kevin Mullin. NARA has said records would be redistributed to facilities in Kansas City, Boston and Seattle. NARA did not respond to requests for comment. Archivists' advocates say the closures would harm access to records regardless of political affiliation.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Missouri from using a Republican-drawn 2025 congressional map in November, requiring the state to instead use the map adopted in 2022. The ruling caps a monthslong dispute triggered by a national redistricting push, following mid-decade map changes in Texas and Ohio favoring Republicans and California's Democratic-leaning response. Missouri's 2025 map, passed in May, would have added a Republican-leaning seat by reshaping Kansas City's District 5, held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, and tightening District 2, held by Republican Ann Wagner.

Because primaries were held under the 2025 map while the general election reverts to 2022 lines, Republicans Bob Onder and Rick Brattin have sued, arguing voters' rights are harmed; the Eighth Circuit was set to hear arguments. Missouri's Supreme Court separately found Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt for trying to use the blocked map, though he avoided sanction after complying. Voters will ultimately decide the matter through Proposition A, a ballot measure asking whether to adopt the 2025 map or keep the 2022 lines, with implications for other states' redistricting plans.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ended, for now, Missouri's year-long redistricting battle by rejecting the Trump-backed congressional map, clearing the way for the state to use districts drawn in 2022 for the November election. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins directed local election authorities to use the 2022 map after the ruling, following the Missouri Supreme Court's earlier order; Attorney General Catherine Hanaway followed suit. Hoskins had briefly been found in contempt for trying to use the new map before correcting course, and the court imposed no penalty once he complied.

The switch means Missouri could hold its general election under different districts than were used in the August primary, potentially changing candidate choices for roughly a quarter of the state's voters. The dispute centers on a GOP-drawn map targeting Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City-area seat, part of a broader Trump-driven redistricting push following similar action in Texas. Gov. Mike Kehoe still hopes the map can be revived, watching the 8th Circuit, which will hear arguments ahead of a Sept. 19 deadline to finalize ballots for overseas military voters. A statewide referendum on the map also remains on the November ballot.

Alaska voters headed to the polls Tuesday in primaries shaping contests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and the legislature, alongside a Florida primary seen as an early indicator for control of Congress. The marquee Alaska race pits Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan against Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola, one of 16 candidates in the all-party primary; the top four finishers advance to a November general election decided by ranked choice voting. A same-named challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., also qualified for the ballot after Republicans failed in court to remove him, and the Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether he entered the race to confuse voters and split support from the incumbent.

Rep. Nick Begich is seeking a second term against independent challenger Bill Hill, while 17 candidates compete to succeed term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Voters are also deciding a ballot measure on campaign contribution limits. Some polls show Peltola leading in a state that typically favors Republicans, and Democrats view Alaska as a key opportunity as they seek to flip four seats to win Senate control.