Senator David Vitter (R-LA) proposed an amendment to the appropriations bill under debate by the Senate, which would require that "none of the funds involved in this law can be used for the collection of census data unless there is a related question regarding immigration and/or citizenship status."

When questioned about the amendment, Census Office Director Robert Groves said, in a meeting of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, that his agency will continue the same policy it has had since 1790, and that the census forms will not include the question required by the amendment.

According to Groves, the proposal is unconstitutional. The Constitution specifies that "all persons living in the country" should be counted, without regard to their migratory status. Every census in this country has been undertaken in this way.

Sources inside the Capitol interpret the amendment as a message from some Republicans to their base, "trying to show that they are applying tough criteria to the undocumented."

Arturo Vargas, executive director of National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), interpreted the proposal as a measure with bad intentions, with the goal of "creating a hostile environment for immigrants."

Groves reiterated to La Opinión his commitment to count everyone in the next census. However, he declined to comment on its success if raids are not halted during the census, as has happened in previous administrations.