Using the slogan, “Before you count us, you must legalize us!” organizers have spread their message everywhere from the pulpit to the airwaves. Their logic? The consequences of a population undercount – with the reductions in federal funding and representation that go along with it – would spur elected officials to expedite federal legislation to legalize undocumented immigrants.
Driven by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, the idea drew the ire of elected officials and Census advocates from Boston to Los Angeles. Opponents said the boycott is a misguided attempt at calling for immigration reform, arguing that undercounts would cause communities with large immigrant populations to lose federal funding and Congressional representation.
The movement claims to have convinced millions of undocumented immigrants – already a hard-to-reach group that fears participation could lead to deportation – not to participate in the Census, which will be taken next month. But it’s gained little traction in one immigrant-filled city: New York.
Although the group intended to launch the Census boycott in the five boroughs, several of the coalition’s leaders from New York voted to keep the boycott away. Perhaps that's why the boycott wasn't also promoted in other ethnic communities, despite organizers' intention of reaching out to Asian and Arab groups as well.
Instead, local clergymen are encouraging the opposite: Full participation in the nationwide count, with some even partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to offer educational outreach and training in their churches. “Here in New York City we have political leaders that really care about the undocumented people,” said the Rev. Domingo Vázquez, a director-at-large for the group and a Manhattan pastor.
Vázquez says it was not the group’s priority to pressure Mayor Bloomberg or the New York congressional delegation about reform, because many representatives are vocal advocates for changing federal immigration laws. Also, the city has adopted progressive policies that protect undocumented immigrants: one, signed in 2003, protects all New York residents from disclosing their immigration status when using vital city services, such as hospitals. The other, signed more recently in 2008, mandates that all city agencies provide public services in New York’s six most-spoken languages.
While undocumented immigrants are still ineligible for most federal welfare benefits, such as Medicaid, and often face harsh labor conditions in the city, there is still a feeling that illegal immigrants fare better in New York than they do in other parts of the country, said Angelo Falcón, president and co-founder of the Manhattan-based think tank, the National Institute for Latino Policy.
