Cities, counties and states that haven’t been very kind to illegal immigrants over the years are suddenly dusting off their welcome mats. With the 2010 census about to get under way, those undocumented residents will be worth a lot of money for the next few weeks.
Jurisdictions across the country are reaching out to illegal immigrant communities, some of which are reluctant to participate, in an effort to convince them that filling out the census form is safe and that the information they provide won’t be used against them. Counting every last resident is vital for these districts, because the census numbers will be used to determine funding as well as legislative districts. The more people an area has, the more money it is eligible for, and the more representation it can get in Congress — which usually means even more money.
“It helps us build our hospitals, schools, parks, libraries,” said Michael Nowakowski, vice mayor of the city of Phoenix and the point person for the census on the City Council.
But cities like Phoenix have a major trust gap to close. Phoenix is in the heart of Arizona’s Maricopa County, where Sheriff Joe Arpaio is known nationwide for cracking down on illegal immigrants.
