Vice President JD Vance is calling on Republicans to match Democrats' aggressive redistricting strategies, arguing that California unfairly benefits from the presence of undocumented immigrants.
Vance Claims Census Rules Give California Extra Political Power
In an interview with Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Vance claimed California has "way more House seats than it should" because the U.S. Census counts all residents, including undocumented immigrants, when determining congressional representation.
Vice President Urges GOP To Match Democrats’ Redistricting Tactics
"So California has way more House seats than it should because they have such a high population of illegal aliens," Vance said in a preview clip posted by Fox News on X.
"They get rewarded for welcoming illegal aliens into their state, giving them federal benefits … and then taxpayers in Ohio and Indiana have fewer congressional representatives because of what California has allowed to happen. That's ridiculously unfair."
Vance argued the only way to "fight back" is for Republican-controlled states to redraw congressional maps "as aggressively as these hard-blue states have done."
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the Golden State is home to an estimated 2.35 to 2.6 million undocumented immigrants, roughly a quarter of the U.S. total, making up over 6% of the state's population. Most are from Latin America, with 71% Mexican-born.
About 1.75 million undocumented immigrants are part of California's workforce, nearly one in ten workers, especially in agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. Many live in mixed-status families; over 12% of K–12 students have an undocumented parent, and more than 200,000 DACA recipients reside in the state.
Democrats Hit Back At Texas GOP With Plan To Flip Five Republican Seats
Vance’s statement came after Texas Republicans had proposed new congressional maps adding five strongly pro-Trump districts to protect their 219-212 House majority before the 2026 midterms.
The plan, filed by State Rep. Todd Hunter (R) during a special legislative session, came amid a broader national redistricting fight. In response, Texas Democrats left the state to block a quorum and delay the GOP's efforts, halting legislative progress but risking fines and arrest.
Following this, California Democrats also considered a sweeping redistricting proposal aimed at flipping five Republican-held House seats and boosting their congressional edge from 43 to 48 out of 52 seats.
The draft map, positioned as a direct counter to Texas Republicans' aggressive redistricting, would dilute GOP voting power in districts held by Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), reported by the Associated Press.
This development could also strengthen Democratic margins in battleground areas like Orange County, San Diego County, and the Central Valley.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) backed the plan and has pledged a special election in early November to let voters decide, though he said he'd pause if Texas halts its efforts. The proposal could face resistance from voters wary of reversing the state's move toward independent redistricting.
Vance Predicts Indictments After Gabbard's Explosive Claims On Intel Abuse
On Sunday, Vance also predicted a wave of indictments following Donald Trump's treason allegations against Barack Obama, citing documents from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that accuse Obama-era officials of linking Trump to Russian interference and pushing Hillary Clinton campaign talking points.
Vance condemned the alleged misuse of intelligence agencies, calling it "sick and disgusting," and insisted indictments should follow clear violations of the law.
Read Next:
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Phil Mistry on Shutterstock.com
