2020 Census: Stand Up and Be Counted – It’s The Law!
On Thursday, December 12, the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC), the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and World Business Chicago convened a discussion on the 2020 Census with leaders including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Dr. Mohammed Zaher Sahloul, MedGlobal President and IBIC Co-Chair said it’s important to address
“the barriers in hard-to-reach communities in the city, which is comprised of 20 percent of the population, is necessary in order to meet the goal to count 75 percent of the residents.”
Participation in the census is required by law for “everyone living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Immigrant and Communities of Color
The census is taken once every decade and it’s important for all residents, regardless of their immigration status, to participate in the 2020 census. The Census does not ask whether non-citizens are legally in the country, and the Census Bureau is required by law to keep responses confidential. Immigrant communities and communities of color are vital to secure a complete count in Illinois. Often, immigrants and non-U.S. citizens are afraid to participate in the census due to their immigration status.
Illinois benefits from participation in the 2020 census which determines:
- how much money the state gets in $800 billion of federal funds and grants
- how many seats Illinois gets in the U.S. House of Representatives
- public and private business investments of $4 trillion annually
To learn more about the 2020 census, visit the Census Bureau’s website www.census.gov.
The attorneys at Godoy Law Office work with you to evaluate your immigration status and guide you in your journey to becoming a US citizen. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office at 855.554.6369.