This is the plan - as written, Article 1 of the US Constitution requires the tallying of everyone into four categories: “free persons” “indentured servants” “Indians not taxed” “all other persons”. This de facto requires asking (or knowing as trump’s executive order seeks to determine) about citizenship and other relevant questions, because prisoners, Indentured servants, slaves, visa holders, illegal aliens , etc. are not “free persons”. Under the Apportionment of Representatives and taxes section, it states that “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” As such, Trump is attempting to gather the data and provide it to the census bureau so that they can adjust their “free persons” figure and affect the apportionment of house representatives accordingly. Of course it will be challenged by the Dems and will wind up back in the Supreme Court, but his gamble is that by then, Ruth Bader Ginsburg or some other elderly leftist jurist will be dead and he will have filled that seat with conservatives to counter the unreliable John Roberts. This will all be played out after 2020, so it also counts on winning re election.
Thank you for your insights.
No longer in force; amended by section 2 of the 14th Amendment, which says apportionment is based on "the whole number of persons."