No: Question will jeopardize Florida and its political clout

Preparations are underway for the 2020 census, and the recent appeal by the U.S. Department of Justice to the Census Bureau requesting a new citizenship question be added to the 2020 census looms like a giant scythe over the population count. Why should the addition of a citizenship question matter to Floridians?

The DOJ’s belated request to add a citizenship question just months before the Census Bureau finalizes the questionnaire will negatively impact Florida’s population count. Many Latino families fearful of providing information to the current administration in this hostile anti-immigrant climate will lead assuredly to an undercount across the country, and in Florida with its large Latinx immigrant populations.

The census budget is already severely underfunded. In addition, the 2020 census will for the first time be primarily conducted online, resulting in serious concerns about the accuracy, safety and privacy of the information to be collected and how such data will be used. Irrespective of whether residents are native born, foreign born or noncitizens, the addition of a citizenship question raises additional concerns about the confidentiality of the information being sought by the federal government. Immigrant and mixed-status households (those families comprised of both citizen and undocumented members) will be fearful of providing any information, given the ramped-up anti-immigrant enforcement actions undertaken by this administration.

A citizenship question, which has not been asked of every American household since 1950, threatens to chill the response of millions of residents. Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution provides congressional representation will be apportioned based on the number of people in the country. Though the exact wording of the proposed citizenship question has not been released — nor has it been field-tested by the Census Bureau — such a question will suppress participation in the count by millions of individuals, contravening the constitutional mandate.

In 2015, $600 billion in federal funding from per-capita census-based programs were distributed to the states and D.C., with $29.3 billion going to Florida. In Florida, these funds were used to pay for programs like highway planning and construction, Medicare, foster care and school-lunch programs.

The rapidly growing population of the state, including recently displaced Puerto Rican migrants, has created an increased need for community programs and infrastructure to meet the traffic requirements of the third most-populous state in the nation. Florida’s necessary reliance on full federal funding is in serious jeopardy if a citizenship question is added to the 2020 census.

Despite one’s views on immigration reform, all Floridians should advocate for an accurate census count in 2020 that will count all residents as mandated by our Constitution. Not only does the count determine billions of dollars in federal funding received by each state, but it will also determine the number of congressional representatives allocated to our state.

Florida is projected to gain two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020. However, a citizenship question will unquestionably result in an undercount, not only resulting in less federal funding, but also less representation in Washington.

In 2010, LatinoJustice PRLDEF helped Central Floridians organize and advocate for increased and fair state election districts to empower Latinos in Orange, Kissimmee, Polk and Monroe counties. Community advocates were so successful in getting Latinos to fill out the census form that for the first time, two new districts in Central Florida had plurality populations of Latinos.

Florida should get all the funding it deserves in 2020 to properly serve its growing population, and to receive fair congressional representation. Any other result is akin to cutting the strength of our collective Florida voice and power.

Many Latino families fear providing information in this hostile antiimmigrant climate.