Speech #1010080451

The Constitution directs the Census to count the number of people. The only way to chpnge that Is to amend the Constitution. That Is the opinion of a wide variety of scholars who have researched the topic. including the Congressional Research Service. the Census Bureau. the Department of Justice. the Illinois House of Representatives. and the city of Chicago. the ACLU. the American Immigration .Lawyers Association. the Organization o. Chinese Americans. the Asian Pacif. ic kmerican Legal Center. the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. the Southwest Voter Education and Registration Project. and the American Jewish Committee. Aside from being unconstitutional. this amendment would prove unworkable. The Director of the Census Bureau stated last year that. "We have not found an acceptable method to exclude undocumented immigrants" from the count. Each proposed method presents the possibility of serious error. either by an overcount or an undercount of legal residents. In addition. determining who is here illegally is sometimes a complicated legal matter. Persons may assert claims of political asylum. they may seek suspension of deportation or adJustment of status. or they may invoke a wide range of other defenses. This amendment would force the Census Bureau to find a way to make these legal determinations. The Census Bureau is not equipped to make those Judgments.