There are two stories running around the country right now that have to do with shifts in Congressional seats. One has mainly stuck to conservative circles, claiming that California has gained a massive number of seats because of illegal immigration. The other story is more mainstream, and it shows that blue states are hemorrhaging Congressional seats. They’re actually both true — when you understand the context.
Tim Pool has covered both of these stories, but he seems a bit confused. Let’s disentangle the stories a bit before you watch this video. Illegal immigration has clearly helped California gain Congressional seats, but the headline numbers can be misleading. The study making waves right now looks specifically at the cumulative effect of immigration on apportionment, and it shows a change of 26 House seats solely because of immigration.
In other words, 26 seats in Congress are apportioned differently than they would be if there were currently 0 immigrants in the U.S. It’s a cumulative effect; not a change from the last census. The study does not suggest the 26 seats are changing in 2020 because of immigration (legal or illegal).
The apportionment change from the last census is what you’ll see in this video. Despite the impact of immigration, blue states are losing seats. That’s because they’re run so poorly that people are fleeing blue districts faster than regular population growth and immigration can replace them.
Now that you understand the nuances of the two stories, you can watch this video with more clarity. It’s a big deal, and it’s worth your time to learn these facts.
