On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau announced the dissolution of various advisory committees composed of experts in demographics, statistics, and advocacy. These committees, which had provided critical technical insights to the agency, were officially disbanded.
Members of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee and the 2030 Census Advisory Committee were informed through notifications that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick concluded the committees’ missions had been achieved. This information was relayed via emails shared widely with the media.
Additionally, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund declared that the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations had also been discontinued.
Those who participated in these committees did so on a voluntary basis, with compensation limited to covering travel and lodging expenses for meetings.
The Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department, which operates under the leadership of Lutnick, a choice made by President Donald Trump during his tenure. Efforts to obtain comments from the Commerce Department were initiated following the announcement.
The 2030 census advisory committee’s members, some of whom were appointed less than one year ago, expressed surprise and concern. Arturo Vargas, the committee’s chair, shared in an interview that he felt “dumbfounded” over the removal of the committees.
Vargas emphasized the importance of external feedback in shaping the Census Bureau’s direction, stating that such input helps the agency “correct course” and assess “unintended consequences” of their plans through valuable community feedback.
