A federal court in California on Thursday has blocked the Trump administration’s effort to exclude illegal aliens from the 2020 census count that is used to apportion congressional seats. This is the second time a federal court has ruled against President Donald Trump’s memorandum issued on July 21 that excluded illegal aliens from the congressional apportionment count. A three-judge panel for the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California ruled that the memo violates the Constitution and two federal laws dealing with the Census. “Our decision is not based on any preference we might have on the question of whether, as a matter of policy, undocumented immigrants should be included for purposes of determining the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives,” the judges wrote in an unsigned opinion (pdf). “Our conclusion is based upon our determination of what the law requires. The policy which the Presidential Memorandum attempts to enact …