Immigrants worry about divulging citizenship information

Representatives of the state of Utah hope the results of the 2010 U.S. Census will earn it another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, the count may not be as accurate if not many are willing to participate due to fear of sharing information with law enforcement.
Federal laws found in United States Code, Title 13 and 44, require all residents to provide the requested information. There is less need for concern about personal information being leaked to other sources because data will remain private for 72 years, until the information is made public for historical purposes.
The purpose of the U.S. Census is to count people living in the United States, citizens and non-citizens. The results determine where the populations are for House representation, voting districts and distribution of tax funds. The tax funds go to roads, education and other projects.
U.S. Census Bureau employees are working to make sure everyone is counted through mailed questionnaires. The question range from age and ethnicity to household income and indoor plumbing. 
When households do not return a questionnaire, Census workers visit those households to get the information in person.
Dean Martinez, of the Denver Regional Census Center, said this problem is due to “an inherent distrust between some communities and the government” and that “some people think that the information will be shared.”
Martinez said he has found that many people in black communities who have a criminal record believe the information will be shared with law enforcement in order to find them.
Likewise, undocumented Hispanics avoid the census out of fear that it will enable them to be traced.
Martinez said that is not true, and all answers are confidential and protected by law. 
“The Census cannot share information with law enforcement or anyone else,” Martinez said.
Darin Parke, South Ogden Police Department lieutenant and Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force commander, said the only information the police department gets from the Census is population figures, and they only use that information to request additional funding. 
Parke added that when police show up at your door it’s “usually not under a good circumstance,” which adds to the distrust of government officials. 
Melissa Carreola, a Weber State University criminal justice major, is the daughter of a formerly undocumented resident. Her father was born in Mexico before his family immigrated to the United States. He was raised to distrust government officials.
Carreola said her father, like many who have immigrated legally or otherwise, associate U.S. government officials with their counterparts in other countries.
“The reason he never trusted government officials and police is because they are extremely corrupt in Mexico,” Carreola said.
Carreola has dealt with police herself while in Mexico, and understands why Mexicans would not trust a government representative.
Adrienne Gillespie, WSU Center for Diversity and Unity director, said she thinks the Census is doing all the right things to reach the minority communities and combat the idea that information is being collected to use against them.
Gillespie had the opportunity to work with the U.S. Census in 2009 to address the difficulty of counting minorities in Utah.
This year the census is available in more languages than in years prior, and more employees have been hired who speak the languages in various minority communities.  Gillespie said when the Census worker speaks someone’s native language, that person feels less threatened. 
Gillespie also pointed out that being undocumented does not mean that person is Hispanic. She said many Park City residents fall into this category.
“You could be undocumented and be from Ireland or Australia,” she said. 
Utah protested the results of the 2000 Census, which gave one more House seat to North Carolina. If the Census Bureau had been required to count all state residents currently living overseas for business or a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah may have earned the extra seat.
Census forms will be mailed to every household throughout March 2010, and should be returned by April 1. Census workers will visit non-responding households through July to take in-person counts.
More information about the 2010 U.S. Census privacy policy and data protection is available at www.census.gov/2010census.