Census resisters cite distrust of government in balking at 2010 forms

Many Libertarians, illegal immigrants and Muslims are among those wary of government intrusion
By Kristen Mack, Tribune reporter
Chicago Tribune
Mar. 18, 2010

To Charles Turrisi Jr., the 2010 census — even with its shorter 10-question form — goes beyond what the framers of the Constitution intended. To his way of thinking, it's about nine questions too long.

Turrisi is among a number of conservatives, Libertarians and tea party adherents who believe the census should be nothing more than a head count, not a collection of personal information. They plan to answer only the first question on the census forms arriving this week — the one that asks how many people live in the house.

"I struggle with giving any more information," said Turrisi, 51, of New Lenox, who questioned why the U.S. Census Bureau needs his phone number. "I kind of hate putting that information out there. It's an infringement on our privacy and our rights."

He's far from the only American who plans to resist the census this year, with most holdouts citing their distrust of government. A few organizations have gone so far as to call for boycotting the census altogether.

Among others, many Muslims are wary of responding, already concerned about discrimination since Sept. 11 and how personal information is used to trace people as part of anti-terrorist efforts. Also wary are undocumented immigrants, who worry their information will be passed on to immigration enforcement officials.

Federal law prohibits the Census Bureau from sharing an individual's data with other government agencies, but some people still question how the data will be used.

It is against the law not to cooperate with the census, and resisting entirely carries a $5,000 fine. Beyond that, advocates argue that not participating can hurt one's own community. Congress will use the decennial count to distribute more than $400 billion each year in federal aid, and it is used to allocate congressional districts.

"To say let's not do it this year, to send a message, doesn't make sense because we are living with (the results of the census) for 10 years," said Teresa Dominguez, citizenship coordinator for the Interfaith Leadership Project, which has been knocking on Cicero doors since January to promote participation.

The resistance is not new. In 2000, only 67 percent of households responded to the census.

On Tuesday, the Pew Research Center released a survey in which 12 percent of Americans confessed they may not participate in the census, compared with 68 percent who said they definitely will. But Pew's researchers concede the figures may understate the problem.

"There's a caveat," said Michael Dimock, Pew's associate director of research. "Saying (they will respond) on a telephone is easier than actually responding. It's hard to say how that translates to reality."

A popular figure among the tea party enthusiasts, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., briefly called for a boycott of the census because it did not ask whether the respondent was a U.S. citizen. She later backtracked and said people should respond, but disclose only how many people live in their household.

Others cite a mix of ideological aversion, conspiratorial skepticism and fear or distrust of government.

Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian Party, cited a Cato Institute report that census information was used during World War I to locate draft resistors and during World War II to round up Japanese-Americans and put them in internment camps.

"Breaches happen on purpose or by accident," Benedict said. "Having all that detail on people creates the opportunity for abuse, even if it's not intended or expected today."

Individual information provided on the census form is off-limits to the public for 72 years. An employee who shares information is subject to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Still, some organizations are using the census to send a message. The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders is telling its undocumented members to remain underground during the census because Congress has not responded to demands for immigration reform.

"It is high risk for undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows and expose themselves," said the Rev. Miguel Rivera, who heads the group. "Before enumeration, we demand legalization."

It's not easy to avoid complying. Those who fail to respond to the census by April 1 can expect a census taker to show up on their doorstep up to six times. It costs the bureau $85 million to track down every percentage point of respondents who fail to mail in the form.

The census is meant to include everyone living in the United States — legally and illegally — which is one of the reasons it does not ask immigration status.

Tomas Belazques, 27, who came to the States illegally two years ago, plans to fill out his form, he said. "We come here to work," he said. "We don't do anything bad and we are entitled to some of the funds."

Belazques' response was shaped by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which has promoted the census in Cicero for months. In the 2000 census, less than half of Cicero's residents responded, Dominguez said.

"That means half of us don't really exist when it comes to funding," she said. "Regardless of our status, children are still going to schools and we're still driving on roads."

During Friday prayers at the Muslim Society Inc. mosque in Glendale Heights, some worshippers expressed concern about racial-profiling and heavy-handed government action against them if they fill out the form.

" ‘What is your concern? Why should I tell you?' " Syed Ahmed, 31, said of what some Muslims will think when they receive the questionnaire. Although he plans to respond, he said that "anything related to government scares people. When you are dealing with government, you are more careful about what you say or do."