Reverse Immigration Will Mean Fewer Hispanics in 2010 Census Than Leaders Expect

Reader Comments
Back to blog

Some people have said that the US immigration office is going to trace census respondents, find out if they are in this country legally, then locate and deport them if they are not. It's part of a crackdown on undocumented workers -- SO wrong!

Annie of MA 10:49PM March 24, 2010

Didn't the government publish a projection last year or the year before stating that by 2050 whites would no longer be a majority?
I responded to that projection by saying that it was patently flawed, and I know that time will prove me correct.
It remains to be seen what the (real) 2010 census figures will be. If it turns out to be true that the Hispanic numbers will go down, will that be in comparison to 2000? Keep in mind that, in a decade, there may have been a dramatic jump, so even a real accounting may still show an increae over 2000.
Also, I would not be surprised if African American numbers turn out to be stagnant.
Two more observations:
1) If the White House does intend to cook the census figures, will we ever know the real numbers?
2) We will certainly never know the true numbers of undocumented people, will we?

Roderick Reilly of VA 1:51PM February 19, 2009

I am a North Carolina home builder and I can tell you this is true. We use a lot of Hispanics and they are going back home in droves. They simply will not stay here and pay our rent prices when they can go home a live for 50% less. We have had sub-contractors leave with their whole families; even with kids that were born here and have never been to their parent's home country.

Jeff Langston of NC 1:13PM February 19, 2009

Ted, anyone with at least one American parent is an American citizen at birth. Obama's mother was an American- nobody disputes this- and that means he could have been born on the moon and would still be an American from birth.
When one of the parents is an American, the child is an American, and the location of the birth is completely irrelevant.
Just because the illegal immigrants (ab)use the 'born inside the US' ruling to create anchor babies doesn't mean that's the *only* way to become an American citizen.

rosignol of WA 2:05AM February 19, 2009

The census matters, because it determines not only how many house districts each state gets, but how those districts are drawn. Those districts could be drawn to include imaginary people.
The differences between real and rotten borroughs are enormous.
Compare Illinois House districts, for example. In 2008 a typical Illinois district saw 240-300 thousand votes cast in the congressional race. But in Luis Gutierrez's 4th District, only 127,000 votes were cast. Why the difference? A huge number of residents who were ineligible to vote, many because they aren't even here legally.
And the difference isn't due primarily to the age demo. In Utah's 3rd District, one of the youngest districts in the nation, over 244,000 votes were cast.
California and New York are huge electoral vote juggernauts, but look at that power and much of it rests on counting immigrants who aren't citizens and who often aren't even here legally. With most congressional districts nationwide seeing anywhere from 200,000 to (at least) 340,000 votes cast, California and some New York City districts see vote totals in the low 100s.
But besides possibly determining who controls the House (and how the districts are drawn) the census will also tilt the presidential playing field. A look at the results last November showed that if McCain had boosted his vote total by 3% he would've won 269 electoral votes - leaving the electoral college in a dead tie.
Chicago elections have long been known to be crrupt, and we now have two of the wiliest Chicago pols (Obama & Emanual) running the census.

Bill Alden of UT 1:28AM February 19, 2009

There is some hope that illegals will start deporting themselves, but...
1) Things suck in Latin America, too.
2) Suck worse in some ways: government handouts are less generous.
3) Our liberal fascists in teh White House and Congress are busy extending welfare benefits to illegals or their children, while doing nothing to make sure that the stimulus jobs are taken by real Americans.
4) Remittances to Mexico only fell by 3.6% last year, even after the massive dropoff in construction jobs.

Bill Alden of UT 1:03AM February 19, 2009

No one leaves the USA, where the living is good -- off the taxpayers.

Dred Scott of AL 12:41AM February 19, 2009

Think about this for a minute. The next census over count Hispanics. Republicans if they have any sense (an unproven assumption) shut up, gather real data independently, and let the Dems pander to people who aren't there. The GOP in the meantime aim their efforts at people who are actually going to vote.
In 2010 even the most aggressive electoral cheating techniques fail in a significant number of districts resulting in GOP victories.
Then if the incumbent republicans can avoid their history of hubris and eject the Cunninghams and Stevens before they can tarnish the brand.

Edward Nutter of CA 12:08AM February 19, 2009

there may be fewer hispanics in AZ next census but there are lots in CA, and their birthrate is higher. so, plan on learning espanol, rapidamente.
hasta luego

josil of CA 11:54PM February 18, 2009