Biden-appointed Census Bureau director resigns midway through term
Census Bureau Director Robert Santos’ resignation will allow Trump to reshape the agency.
Robert Santos’ decision comes “after deep reflection,” according to a letter he sent Thursday, which was obtained by POLITICO. He said he plans to spend more time with family following his retirement.
Santos was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in 2021, following a tumultuous few years at the agency. The 2020 Census — which was the decennial count of every person in America that determines the number of House seats each state gets and billions in federal funding — was thrown into chaos by a fight over the first Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question and the pandemic.
The Census Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NPR first reported Santos’ resignation.
Trump’s 2020 attempt to add a citizenship question to the census failed after the Supreme Court ruled on procedural grounds that the administration could not do so.
The Trump administration then planned to otherwise exclude immigrants in the country illegally from the apportionment count — which determines House seats and Electoral College votes for states — but that was also scuttled after the release of the data was delayed into the Biden administration. Historically, post-14th Amendment apportionment numbers have always included people residing in the United States, regardless of their immigration status.
His resignation gives Trump the opportunity to appoint a new leader to oversee the agency. Although he won’t be in office when the 2030 Census takes place, the Trump administration will have significant sway over how the count is conducted.
The White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department — which oversees the bureau — did not respond to questions from POLITICO last week on plans for the agency, but his first day executive orders gave early signals Trump could revive efforts to push for another citizenship question and try to exclude non-citizens from the count.
During his three-year tenure, Santos said he worked to ensure the Census Bureau’s work remained nonpartisan and prioritized collecting accurate data on underrepresented communities.
In addition to the high-profile count every 10 years, the Bureau produces reams of data on American life that researchers and policymakers rely on.
“Building generational trust across communities and tribal nations is foundational to ensuring our methods, data, and products are timely, of high quality, and relevant,” Santos wrote in his Thursday letter. “I’ve seen firsthand how we can provide relevant data to communities to address their needs as defined by their life experiences and perspectives.”
