HispanicBusiness

Undeterred by a scathing editorial in the L.A. Times last week, the leader of a growing movement calling on illegal immigrants to boycott the 2010 Census is forging ahead despite the criticism.

The Rev. Miguel Rivera is encouraging the illegal immigrants in his nationwide coalition of 20,000 churches to boycott the Census in the hopes that the threat will strong-arm Congress into approving an immigration-reform bill, after three years of dithering. His goal: to create a path to citizenship for most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Meanwhile, his critics -- who, in addition to the Times, include many immigrant-rights groups -- say the movement is, in essence, akin to holding a gun to one's own head in an effort to negotiate.

This is because the federal government uses the Census results to distribute money to programs such as schools and clinics. In short, fewer people means fewer dollars in any given geographical area.

Last week, the L.A. Times published an editorial titled: "Latino boycott of the census makes no sense."

"This misguided advice could have come from the Minuteman Project," the editorial says. "Because an undercount means that the very places where illegal immigrants reside and use services, those states and counties already in desperate financial straits will be shortchanged of federal funding that would help all residents."

Needless to say, Rev. Rivera, whose coalition is called the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, was none too pleased.

"Shame on you, L.A. Times," he told HispanicBusiness.com on Friday. "I really want to address true facts. Don't try to distort our position just using rhetoric."

Rivera acknowledged that his position is "radical."

"The conventional way of thinking is everybody should be counted," he said. "But after eight years of raids, arrests, broken families and children without families, there's no way we can just cross our arms and look the other way."

On Saturday, Rev. Rivera led a rally in Washington D.C. to promote the boycott. He told HispanicBusiness.com that about 1,500 people showed up, including 150 pastors from 26 states.

In all, he claims that at least 1 million of his congregants are prepared to take part in the boycott.

Also openly critical of the clergyman's effort is the head of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), who calls the boycott "wildly irresponsible."

"I see absolutely no logic to a boycott," NALEO Executive Director Arturo Vargas told HispanicBusiness.com Monday. "This is the classic example of the shepherd misleading his flock."

So concerned is NALEO about the boycott that it helped initiate a dueling movement involving a nationwide clergy coalition sending the opposite message.

Last week, that group, called the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) -- which claims to serve 16 million Hispanic born-again Christians in the United States and Puerto Rico --
began urging immigrants to participate in the Census.

Vargas said the L.A. Times editorial was "on the mark."

"I would go further," he said. "It's not just senseless; it's fundamentally harming the same population this reverend is purporting to be the supporter of."

As for Rev. Rivera, he readily admits that he supported the presidency of George W. Bush and the presidential candidacy of Republican John McCain. But he insists that his immigration-reform goals are non-partisan.

In fact, his idea of the beacon bill is one that has been floated by a staunch Democrat, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois. In 2007, Gutierrez and U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), co-sponsored an immigration reform bill that never made it to the House floor.

Gutierrez is still crusading for immigration reform, which he defines as an end to deportation raids and a path to citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants, as well as tighter border security.

"This is the perfect bill," he said. "If this is going to happen this year, then the House needs to get started in June."

As for his reaction to the L.A. Times editorial, the reverend said it made him sad.

"The Los Angeles Times is a very well-respected newspaper, and we were not expecting that," he said.