Thread: Boycott the Census? Let's get serious. Raul Reyes

Boycott the Census? Let's get serious.

Commentary By Raul Reyes

President Obama spoke at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast last month and renewed his vow to tackle immigration. As the nation's largest Hispanic evangelical network, "Esperanza" means hope in Spanish. So it was fitting Obama gave Latinos reason for hope about meaningful immigration reform.

"We must also clarify the status of millions who are here illegally," he said, adding that citizenship would come only after penalties and back taxes are paid and English is learned, among other requirements.

But some Hispanics believe this is just lip service. The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC) has become impatient with the lack of movement on immigration and is urging undocumented workers to boycott the 2010 Census. This strategy backed by a lot of clout because the group represents 20,000 churches in 34 states assumes that the threat of a major undercount will force the government to grant legal status to the USA's 12 million illegal immigrants. Talk about flawed logic.

CONLAMIC is trying to create a link between the Census and immigration reform where none exists. The group is playing to the fears of illegal immigrants that their personal information will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Never mind that the Census does not ask about immigration status and counts all U.S. residents, not just citizens.

Spanish-language media and Hispanic civic groups are taking the group's threat seriously. In Los Angeles, the newspaper La Opinion said not participating in our national head count "verges on political suicide." Arturo Vargas of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials called the boycott "wildly irresponsible." The association estimates that Hispanics were undercounted by 3% in the last Census.

Although the Census provided information to U.S. security agencies during World War II to target Japanese Americans for internment, and in 2004 it gave data to Homeland Security on Arab Americans, the bureau has since adopted stronger privacy rules.

The coalition's leader, the Rev. Miguel Rivera, falsely argues that Census counts result only in more money for police and deportations. Census data are used to calculate all-important federal aid to states and cities.

I can understand the frustration that has led to the call for radical action. But CONLAMIC's fear-based approach is more likely to drive illegal immigrants farther into the shadows at the precise moment when the president seeks to pull them out.

Raul Reyes is an attorney in New York and a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors.

Posted at 12:16 AM/ET, July 17, 2009 in Forum commentary, Immigration - Forum, Reyes
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The coalition's leader, the Rev. Miguel Rivera, falsely argues that Census counts result only in more money for police and deportations. Census data are used to calculate all-important federal aid to states and cities.

Interesting..........sounds like some pro-illegal alien advocates are afraid the census will actually show that there are more, many more, illegal aliens in the country than the 12 million we keep hearing about.