By Dan Fritz | KPFK
A new study from UCLA researchers says that up to 10% of Latinos in L.A. County may go uncounted in the 2020 Census, costing local communities hundreds of millions of dollars in public services.
"We have the largest undocumented population in the country... the largest mixed status in the country," said study author Steven P. Wallace, Associate Center Director at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. "And, despite the fact that California and Los Angeles as governmental programs have been protective of immigrants, the overarching national discussion around immigration has been unrelentingly hostile," he said.
A citizenship question proposed by the Trump Administration, but blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer, was going to suppress turnout by about 10% among non-citizens and mixed-status households, according to the federal government's own census experts.
The fight over the citizenship question, other anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric out of Washington, and fear of deportation were all at play, said Wallace. And then the COVID-19 crisis hit.
Just this past weekend, the Census Bureau announced another two-week delay in its canvassing plans because of coronavirus.
Immigrant rights groups called for an extension to the Census deadline, now set for August, along with a slate of other actions they say governments should be taking on behalf of immigrants in the COVID-19 crisis.
"It's likely that some people are not paying attention to the mail they're getting," said Steven Wallace. "If they don't have access to a computer, now that libraries are closed, if they're low income... that could deter them from answering the forms," said Wallace.
The study modeled a few undercount scenarios in Los Angeles among Latinos, ranging from 2% to 10%. Within the 10% model, over half a billion dollars in federal program monies could be lost, including money for food stamps, housing, education, and health programs.
Wallace emphasized that despite the fears, participating in the census is safe for immigrants regardless of their status. "This is one of those federal government agencies that works really hard at protecting people's data," noted Wallace. "It's a count of everyone living in the U.S., regardless of immigration status, so it's important to make sure they get counted so the communities that they live in get the resources that they need," he said.
"We have the largest undocumented population in the country... the largest mixed status in the country," said study author Steven P. Wallace, Associate Center Director at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. "And, despite the fact that California and Los Angeles as governmental programs have been protective of immigrants, the overarching national discussion around immigration has been unrelentingly hostile," he said.
A citizenship question proposed by the Trump Administration, but blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer, was going to suppress turnout by about 10% among non-citizens and mixed-status households, according to the federal government's own census experts.
The fight over the citizenship question, other anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric out of Washington, and fear of deportation were all at play, said Wallace. And then the COVID-19 crisis hit.
Just this past weekend, the Census Bureau announced another two-week delay in its canvassing plans because of coronavirus.
Immigrant rights groups called for an extension to the Census deadline, now set for August, along with a slate of other actions they say governments should be taking on behalf of immigrants in the COVID-19 crisis.
"It's likely that some people are not paying attention to the mail they're getting," said Steven Wallace. "If they don't have access to a computer, now that libraries are closed, if they're low income... that could deter them from answering the forms," said Wallace.
The study modeled a few undercount scenarios in Los Angeles among Latinos, ranging from 2% to 10%. Within the 10% model, over half a billion dollars in federal program monies could be lost, including money for food stamps, housing, education, and health programs.
Wallace emphasized that despite the fears, participating in the census is safe for immigrants regardless of their status. "This is one of those federal government agencies that works really hard at protecting people's data," noted Wallace. "It's a count of everyone living in the U.S., regardless of immigration status, so it's important to make sure they get counted so the communities that they live in get the resources that they need," he said.
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