AAJC Welcomes Secretary Napolitano’s Census Confidentiality Reassurance 

WASHINGTON — With Census Day, April 1, rapidly approaching, AAJC is pleased with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s recent promise that immigration enforcement will not hinder Census 2010. And for her commitment to maintaining the integrity of the information it collects.

In meetings with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last December and this March, AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki and other immigrant advocates expressed concerns about the affect aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement during the census collection period would have on participation levels among Latino, Asian and other immigrant communities. Secretary Napolitano stated that while ICE would not cease their enforcement activities, they would take care that such actions would not hinder the Census Bureau in its efforts to accurately count every person living in the U.S.  She added that as a former governor of Arizona, she was very aware of these issues and the importance of getting an accurate count. 

Additionally, in a letter to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus the Secretary noted that the Homeland Security and Commerce departments are working together to ensure that immigration-related activities “do not affect [the Census Bureau’s] ability to collect accurate and comprehensive data for the census,” and reiterated that census responses: “will not be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and may not be used for immigration enforcement purposes.”

The federal government is constitutionally obligated to count every person living in the U.S. once a decade, regardless of immigration status. An accurate census is in the country’s best interest, therefore it is imperative that everyone, even illegal immigrants, feels safe filling out their questionnaires. During Census 2000, ICE did not suspend enforcement but did try to time high-profile enforcement actions so as not to conflict with the census taking efforts.

“Secretary Napolitano’s reiteration of her understanding the sensitivity of DHS enforcement’s impact on census accuracy is reassuring during the final days leading up to Census Day,” said Narasaki. “As many in our community may be fearful of participating in the census due to concerns about data being used against them to harm them and their families, having Secretary Napolitano reaffirm the confidentiality protections for census data and responses in acknowledging that DHS can not have access to the data will hopefully reassure those in our communities who are often the hardest to count.”

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share, and cannot be forced to share— not even by subpoena— an individual’s information with any government agency, court, company, landlord, employer or anyone—  for 72 years. The Justice Department also issued a statement declaring that no other law, not even the Patriot Act, supersedes these privacy protections.  

Finally, census workers have to swear an oath to maintain confidentiality for life, or face stiff penalties, including jail.

“The government’s commitment to a complete, accurate and confidential census is genuine,” Narasaki added. “The Census Bureau recognizes that the accuracy of the census is dependent on the public’s trust in the safety of their data.”

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