Federal funding, representation, contingent on accurate 2020 Census data
L CENTRO — As government officials prepare for the 2020 Census, the question of how to get more Imperial County residents to participate looms large.
“According to The Public Policy Institute of California article and the interactive map provided in the article, our county is 43.3 percent less likely to respond to the upcoming 2020 Census” as compared to other counties in the state, Esperanza Colio-Warren, Imperial County Deputy CEO, told the Imperial Valley Press recently. “In looking at the census tracks in the interactive map, areas next to the border with Mexico are less likely to respond to the upcoming census.”
Getting accurate census data is pivotal because federal program funding and congressional representation is dependent on the results, meaning that the fewer people who participate locally, the less money Imperial County is set to receive during the 2020s and the less representation it will have in government.
The data the census collects are used to reapportion seats in the House of Representatives, draw legislative districts and distribute an estimated $800 billion in federal funds every year, according to NPR.
“Without an accurate count of residents in Imperial County, federal and state funds may be limited or denied — lowering the amount of services to be provided to our residents,” Colio-Warren said.
For Imperial County, the causes of census undercount are numerous and include the presence of minority groups including His panic and Native-Americans, non U.S. citizens and a high proportion of renters, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Illegal immigrants
One of the biggest issues facing Imperial County is the large proportion of undocumented immigrants who are afraid to participate for fear of being deported.
In December, Arthur E. Gary, general counsel of the Department of Justice Management Division, sent a letter to the U.S. Census Bureau requesting that a question asking a respondent’s citizenship status be reinstated in the 2020 Census long-form questionnaire. In the 2010 Census, no census questionnaire included a question regarding citizenship. In fact, the Census Bureau has not asked all U.S. households about citizenship since 1950.
“The Department formally requests that the Census Bureau reinstate into the 2020 Census a question regarding citizenship,” Gary wrote. “We also request that the Census Bureau release this new data regarding citizenship at the same time as it releases the other redistricting data.”
In response, Congress members Jose E. Serrano, D-N.Y., and Grace Meng, D-N.Y., sent a joint letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross opposing the addition of a citizenship status question on the 2020 Census questionnaire.
“Adding this question on citizenship and legal status will negatively affect response rates, jeopardize the accuracy of the collected surveys, and deter many people from participating,” they wrote. “The 2020 Census already faces significant planning and operational challenges, and we urge you to reject this misguided and problematic proposal.”
Despite such opposition, the Department of Commerce announced in March that it would reinstate the question on citizenship status on the 2020 Census, with officials stating it was doing so to help enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Respondents who refuse to answer the citizenship question on the 2020 census would technically be breaking federal law, according to the Washington Times, but would not likely face fines or jail time for failing to comply.
Still, returning an incomplete census questionnaire may lead to a phone call or an in-person visit from Census Bureau employees, which hired more than 600,000 door-knockers to follow-up with households that did not respond to the 2010 census, according to NPR. This follow-up is necessary because the U.S. Constitution requires the government to count every person living in the country once every 10 years.
Addressing undercount
In Imperial County, officials are considering potential options to address the ongoing dilemma of undercount, Colio-Warren said.
“As mentioned in the 2020 Census Stakeholders Workshop, the Census Bureau should develop an outreach plan encouraging residents to participate in the upcoming census,” she said. “The plan should include members of local non-profit organizations that are familiar with the needs of Imperial County residents.”
Using well-known community non-profit organizations “may encourage Imperial County residents to feel less apprehensive answering questions,” Colio-Warren said. “Additionally, the plan should include explanation of the potential negative impact to public services due to the lack of participation in the census.”
Furthermore, “perhaps the media can assist the community by bringing awareness to the importance of participating in the 2020 Census,” Colio-Warren said.
For more information about the issues of census undercount, visit http://www.ppic.org/blog/2020-census-where-are-californias-hard-to-count-communities/