If the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders wanted to bring attention to the illegal immigration issue, it certainly accomplished that.

Unfortunately for the group and its cause of comprehensive immigration reform, its position of urging illegal immigrants to refuse to be counted in the 2010 Census will be counterproductive and hurt the states and communities where illegal immigrants live the most.

This proposed boycott just doesn't make sense. ... (T)he information collected is confidential, and census officials say they don't ask people about their immigration status or require Social Security numbers. ...

The census is used to determine congressional districts and the number of representatives a state has in Congress. That would mean less representation in Congress for areas with the most undocumented immigrants, potentially reducing the number of lawmakers sympathetic to the cause of immigration reform.

Perhaps most importantly, the census also is used to allocate federal dollars for social programs and other areas, such as schools and health care. Taxpayers in states and communities with many illegal immigrants, such as Cumberland County with an estimated 14,000, would not get their fair share of federal support and could have to make up the difference through local taxes. States also apportion money based on population, so it could mean being shortchanged on state funds, too.

We believe Congress needs to approve comprehensive immigration reform, which should include some type of guest worker program and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.

But if this national coalition of Latino ministers thinks that this boycott will pressure Congress to pass such reform and get more Americans to support its cause, it better think again.

— The Daily Journal,

Vineland, N.J.