'MAGA Act' could rip House seats from Dem states ahead of next presidential race

By Fox News · Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: A new House GOP proposal targeting the nation's congressional map could kneecap blue states and dramatically change their representation on Capitol Hill. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is introducing legislation that would only count citizens when deciding how many House representatives each state gets, called the Make Apportionment Great Again (MAGA) Act. It would be a fundamental change in congressional representation across the country, particularly hitting states where the most noncitizens live. The U.S. census has traditionally sought to count all people living within the country's borders, regardless of citizenship or even lawful status. WHERE TRUMP, GOP VS DEMOCRATS REDISTRICTING BATTLE HEADS NEXT IN WAKE OF KEY COURT RULINGS According to the U.S. census website, immigrants — both citizens and noncitizens — make up a fifth of the population in California, New Jersey, New York and Florida. Illegal immigrants living in sanctuary jurisdictions are also in theory counted by the census. A 2024 report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) said immigrants, both legal and illegal, resulted in a "net increase" of 14 seats in Democrat-leaning states. Republican states had 10 fewer seats than they otherwise would have, the report said. MORE THAN A QUARTER-MILLION NONCITIZENS MAY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 4 KEY STATES, DHS ALLEGES The legislation would not require a new census after 2020, instead forcing states to rely on existing records to reapportion by sometime in 2027. It would, however, add a new question to the 2030 census, asking people whether they are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national but not a citizen, an alien lawfully residing in the United States, or an alien unlawfully residing in the United States. RNC LEGAL VICTORY CLEARS NORTH CAROLINA VOTER ROLL PURGE OF NONCITIZENS THROUGH JURY RESPONSES But Clyde's bill could see a significant legal battle in the courts, even if passed. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that House seats will be…