The Census Boycott is on…

Some clergy call on illegal immigrants to boycott the Census. “This is a matter of moral principle,” Miguel Rivera, leader of the boycott, says.

The National Coalition Of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders called for the boycott last year in an effort to push leaders to pass immigration reform.

Now Rivera, president of the coalition, says it's in the best interest of millions of illegal immigrants to “exercise their right to free expression maintaining themselves silent and not exposing themselves further.”

The group estimates more than 3 million illegal immigrants won’t cooperate with the Census.

The U.S. Constitution calls for a nationwide count every 10 years. The data is used to distribute some $300 billion to state and local governments and adjust congressional representation.

Census officials say its critical that every resident be counted, and that immigration status is not part of the query.

An undercount could affect millions of dollars coming to the Carolinas for roads, schools and hospitals. It could also determine whether either state gains a congressional seat.

The pastors however say political representation and federal money don't matter to illegal immigrants, who can't vote and don't get to enjoy many of the benefits of living here.

Here are excerpts from a letter Rivera sent out this morning:

"The Census boycott is on. This is a matter of moral principle and pastoral care.

Congress will not move forward with legalization, there is no moratorium on executing raids and deportations.

It is in the best interests and the welfare of millions of undocumented immigrants, to exercise their right to free expression maintaining themselves silent and not exposing themselves further…

… We recognize that the Census is important, but its own importance and accuracy, converts itself into a weapon of families destruction."

…Only a Cease and Desist on Raids and Deportations would move us to call the boycott effort to stop.

File photo: Radio host Jorge Medina asked listeners last year if they'll participate in Census. Many said they'll boycott.

California could gain 9 House seats because of illegal immigrants

North Carolina could lose a seat if illegal immigrants are not counted. Is all this right?

Critics of the Census’s practice not to ask about residency status say “no.”

John Baker, a constitutional law professor at Louisiana State University, and Elliott Stonecipher, a Louisiana pollster and demographic analyst, charge that the census has drifted from its constitutional roots and that the 2010 Census count will result in a unfair redistribution of Congress.

Since 1790(except following the census of 1920), the Census has been used to determine the apportionment of members of the U.S. House of Representatives among the states.

Baker and Stonecipher write in a recent Op-Ed for the Wall Street Journal that California could get nine House seats “it doesn’t deserve” because illegal immigrants will be counted in the 2010 Census.

They charge that several states, such as Iowa, Louisiana, and Michigan, will likely lose one seat in the 2010 reapportionment because of this.

For a story on illegal immigrants threatening to boycott the Census, we reported in May that North Carolina could lose its coveted 14th seat in the House of Representatives.

North Carolina and Utah battled after the 2000 Census when in 2002 after North Carolina won the last available U.S. House district seat over Utah. Critics said North Carolina won the seat because of the state’s growing illegal immigrant population.

Nine states in all, including South Carolina, could gain a seat based on population gains, according to a recent study by Election Data Services, a political consulting firm.

Photo: The threatened boycott of the upcoming Census by illegal immigrants is a frequent topic for Charlotte radio host Jorge Medina. T.ORTEGA GAINES – ogaines@charlotteobserver.com