Washington, D.C., USA: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has stepped forward to lead a renewed push for clarity on Illinois’ long-standing census undercount, urging federal officials to address inaccuracies that have weakened the state’s political strength and access to federal funds.
On November 18, Krishnamoorthi and all 14 Democratic members of Illinois’ U.S. House delegation called on Acting Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin to provide an immediate briefing on preparations for the 2030 Census. The group expressed alarm that Illinois has been repeatedly undercounted in official population estimates.
In their letter, the lawmakers said they were “deeply troubled” by persistent underreporting, pointing out that the 2020 Census failed to account for more than 46,000 Illinois residents. They argued that these missing numbers likely contributed to the state’s recorded population decline and the loss of one congressional seat after reapportionment.
The delegation emphasized that inaccurate census data poses a serious disadvantage for Illinois—a state known for its racial, cultural, and geographic diversity. Communities with large immigrant populations, rural households, and people of color are among those most frequently missed, they said.
According to the lawmakers, these long-standing gaps reduce federal funding for essential services such as education, healthcare, transportation infrastructure, and other community programs. They also weaken representation in Congress and the Electoral College.
The Illinois members asked the Census Bureau to brief them directly and provide details about outreach plans for hard-to-count populations, improvements to census methods and technology, potential demographic shifts that may affect federal allocations, and ways local organizations can assist in improving future counts.
They stressed that this information is crucial to ensuring Illinois receives a full and accurate count in 2030—one that reflects the state’s entire population.
The request was signed by Krishnamoorthi along with Reps. Lauren Underwood, Jesus G. Chuy Garcia, Jan Schakowsky, Danny K. Davis, Eric Sorensen, Bill Foster, Sean Casten, Jonathan L. Jackson, Brad Schneider, Nikki Budzinski, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, and Robin Kelly.
The lawmakers noted that precise census results influence how many seats each state holds in the House of Representatives, how Electoral College votes are assigned, and how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are distributed for key national programs.
