Central ND News

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) has joined his colleagues in introducing the Equal Representation Act, a bill aimed at addressing the issue of illegal immigration and its potential impact on congressional district apportionment and Electoral College votes. The legislation seeks to highlight the potential for disproportionate political power and ensure transparency and informed decision-making.

The need for the Equal Representation Act was underscored by recent comments made by U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY), who advocated for the inclusion of more illegal migrants in her district for redistricting purposes. This highlights the concern that illegal immigration may be used as a tool to influence electoral outcomes.

Under President Biden's administration, illegal immigration has surged, raising concerns about its impact on congressional and Electoral College apportionment. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report, the number of non-detained noncitizens has increased by 30.3% from 4.7 million in FY 2022 to over 6.2 million in FY 2023. This increase has raised questions about the accuracy of the Census count, as illegal immigrants are currently included in the count for congressional district apportionment.

Senator Cramer expressed his concerns about the potential inclusion of non-citizens in the apportionment count, stating, "The Census is the foundation for representation in our political system, and any census that could include non-citizens in the apportionment count is really concerning to me, and it ought to be to all North Dakotans. Illegal immigrants and non-citizens cannot vote and should not be used as pawns as the Democrats redistrict in various states. Our Census has to count both Americans and non-Americans but should also distinguish between them."

The Equal Representation Act addresses these concerns by requiring the Census Bureau to include a citizenship question on future censuses. This would enhance our understanding of the U.S. population and distinguish between citizens and non-citizens for apportionment purposes. The bill also seeks to prohibit the counting of non-citizens for congressional and Electoral College apportionment, ensuring that only U.S. citizens have influence over representation.

The legislation was led by U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and has garnered support from a number of cosponsors, including U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), and many others.

This bill highlights the need to address the potential influence of illegal immigrants on electoral outcomes and ensures that representation in our political system remains fair and transparent. By distinguishing between citizens and non-citizens for apportionment purposes, the Equal Representation Act aims to protect the integrity of our electoral process and uphold the principle of one person, one vote.