Robert M. Groves

The issue of sampling - essentially, estimating through statistical models the number of people who don't respond to the census - has become a political football. Democrats claim that a population that most needs federal dollars (and that would be most likely to support their party at the polls) - including the homeless and illegal immigrants - will be disenfranchised without sampling. Republicans contend that the Constitution does not allow for statistical counting and that the use of sampling could overstate the population.

Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) called Groves' appointment a signal that the "fight to protect the accuracy and independence of the 2010 Census has just begun."

"With the nomination of Robert Groves, President Obama has made clear that he intends to employ the political manipulation of census data for partisan gain," said McHenry.

After the Groves announcement, Locke spent the end of his first week on the job defending the nominee, and clarifying to lawmakers that sampling would not be used in the 2010 census. Locke also said that Groves would report to Locke, with consultation from Congress and the White House. "We're going to make sure that the Census Bureau has the independent leadership it deserves and the professional oversight that Americans demand," said Locke.

The 2010 Census

The 2010 census is expected to cost $15 billion, and the February 2009 stimulus bill allocated $1 billion more to help fund the census, including $250 million for advertising campaigns. The main goal of advertising programs will be to reach communities most often undercounted, including illegal immigrants, other minority groups and the homeless. One of Groves' main tasks will be to reach these populations and encourage their participation.

There's an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in America, many of whom shy away from interacting with the government because of deportation fears despite the fact that the census does not request immigration status.

The scope of the potential problem is evident in states like Arizona, where there are an estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants. During the 2000 census, an estimated 75,000 illegal immigrants went uncounted, including 18,750 people in Phoenix. If Groves fails to count a similar number in 2010, then Phoenix is estimated to lose $75 million dollars in revenue over the next 10 years, according to Tammy Perkins, an official at the Phoenix City Manager's Office.

Some groups have already begun campaigns to encourage participation by reluctant communities. Yet by April 2009, some Hispanic groups had already called for boycotts of the census, fearing the extra money received by states for the full count would only hurt illegal immigrants. "Are we going to bring more money in the community so that they can hire more police officers who then will go out after more undocumented?" asked Bobby Villegas, a businessman in Roswell, N.M., who launched a campaign to boycott the 2010 census.

Groves will have to counter such fierce opposition and skepticism from immigrant-rights groups to assure everyone gets tallied. One measure that Groves will oversee is the distribution of 13 million forms in both English and Spanish to areas with a heavy Hispanic population. Groves also plans to seek help from major Spanish news outlets in order to build support among illegal immigrants from a trustworthy source.

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