U.S. Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) has joined a major lawsuit that claims the U.S. Census Bureau’s use of certain statistical methods in the 2020 Census amounted to “unlawful manipulation” that unfairly cost Republican-leaning states, including Florida, congressional representation.
The lawsuit, originally filed by the conservative legal group America First Legal (AFL), argues that the Census Bureau’s methods—such as the use of “imputation” (filling in missing data with statistical estimates) and “differential privacy” (adding small, intentional errors to protect confidentiality)—are a “blatant disregard for our Constitution” and federal law.
Alleged Misconduct and Real-World Consequences
AFL filed an amended complaint today, officially adding Representative Donalds as a plaintiff. The congressman’s participation emphasizes the high stakes of the case, as the plaintiffs allege that the results of the 2020 count directly changed the political map of the United States.
In a statement, Representative Donalds highlighted the perceived injury to his state, a key claim in the lawsuit.
“Our Founders made it crystal clear in the Constitution that an actual count of every person, every ten years, is used to decide representation in Congress, not flawed statistical guesswork,” Donalds said. He noted that Florida, a strong GOP state, “lost out on two additional House seats” due to the alleged misconduct.
According to AFL, the injury caused by relying on statistical models over a pure count is not theoretical; it has “silenced the voices of American citizens.”
The plaintiffs are seeking several forms of relief from the court, including:
- A declaration that the 2020 Census was unlawful.
- An injunction to prevent the U.S. Census Bureau from using the same unlawful methods in the 2030 Census and beyond.
- A requirement for the Census Bureau to produce a new 2020 Census Report that is based solely on actual enumeration, without the disputed statistical methods.
Gene Hamilton, President of America First Legal, underscored the importance of the census, stating it “determines representation, funding, and even how the president is elected. Representation must be based on real counts of real Americans.”
The legal action has drawn opposition, with AFL also filing a response today opposing a motion to intervene in the case by parties represented by the Elias Law Group, which focuses on advancing Democratic redistricting efforts.
America First Legal’s Senior Counsel, James Rogers, offered a historical perspective on the matter: “If the Romans could count their citizens without relying on models, the United States can, too. The Census Bureau’s job is to count real people where they actually live, and they must return to doing so.”
The organization has pledged to continue its fight to “protect election integrity” and ensure “faithful adherence to the Constitution’s requirement of actual enumeration,” arguing that no American should have their voice “quieted, or even silenced, because bureaucrats chose to betray the Constitution.”
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