NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE & NATIONAL COALITION ON BLACK CIVIC PARTICIPATION: ELIMINATING CENSUS ADVISORY COMMITTEES DIMS TRANSPARENCY AND THREATENS ACCURATE 2030 CENSUS COUNT
NEW YORK (March 11, 2025) — The National Urban League and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation issued the following statement regarding the elimination of Census Advisory Committees:
The National Urban League and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation , joint conveners of the Census Black Roundtable, are sounding an alarm. The Trump administration’s March 4th decision to eliminate all Census Advisory Committees during a crucial research and design period to improve the 2030 Census, is a significant step backwards for public trust and transparency.
This move undermines assurances that the federal government will accurately count every person residing in the United States one time, once only, in the right place, regardless of their living conditions, socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, age, legal status, sex, or gender preference.
For more than 50 years, Census Advisory Committees have provided the U.S. Census Bureau and its parent agency, the Department of Commerce with critical input on census programs and surveys—particularly the once every ten years decennial Census. The Department of Commerce’s decision to eliminate each of the Bureau’s advisory committees, which include the 2030 Census Advisory Committee; the Census Scientific Advisory Committee; and the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations is a page directly out of Project 2025’s “To Do” list—that is, eliminate all federal advisory committees without a statutory mandate. Doing so at Census casts a pall on the Administration’s intentions regarding 2030 Census plans, research and operations, and its commitment to transparency, including Title 13 data privacy assurances.
Impact on Public Trust and Transparency
Eliminating Census Advisory Committees diminishes transparency essential for the public’s trust in the Census Bureau's processes and data. The Administration’s penchant for sharing public data and records with nonfederal employees makes the need for transparency even more urgent.
Census Advisory Committee members include geographers, statisticians, and demographers, who often play a vital role in their communities, as trusted voices. They ensure that the Census Bureau's plans are not only methodologically sound but are shared with the public for improvement, buy-in, and support. Without the input from Census committees, there is a heightened risk that the 2030 Census process and other surveys may overlook or inadequately address the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities.
Research and Design Efforts
This mid-decade planning phase is critical for evaluating and testing new designs and innovations to improve the 2030 Census. This is especially important as the Census Bureau prepares to launch a 2026 Census Test next year—one of two definitive field tests planned before the 2030 Census, to identify operational and methodological enhancements for the next Census. The 2026 Test focuses on a longtime concern of the Census Black Roundtable and other committee members: improving coverage for historically undercounted populations.
Call to Action
The National Urban League and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s Census Black Roundtable call upon the Department of Commerce to restore balanced, nonpartisan Census Advisory Committees to uphold the principles of transparency and public trust. We also urge the public to remain aware of Census operations and plans by checking websites of National organizations and trusted leaders, write to your Congressional leaders and request oversight hearings on the Census, and begin preparing for the 2030 Census by organizing Complete Count Committees in your jurisdictions with elected local and state officials.
An accurate 2030 Census count is not a bureaucratic exercise, but a constitutional mandate. It affects every aspect of our civic lives, including the equitable distribution of resources and political representation. Contrary to the Department of Commerce’s claims, the work of the 2030 Census Advisory Committee and fellow Census Committees is not complete. We owe the taxpaying public our best analyses and recommendations for a complete 2030 Census count of the American people.
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