Illegal aliens and the 2010 census

Five states poised to add a congressional seat may end up losing out because of poor participation rates in the 2010 census. New York, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California are all lagging, and might have quite a bit to lose. As you probably know, the Census helps determine representation in the House and federal funding.

As I looked at the list, I noticed that 3 of the states are along the Mexican border and have a large number of illegal aliens entering the state. Well, it looks like New York and Florida are in the same boat. It turns out that California (1), Texas (2), New York (3), Florida (5), and Arizona (6) make up five out of the top six states with the most illegal aliens. Is this merely a coincidence? Could some other variable be at work? That’s certainly possible, but you must admit that it is some coincidence. » read more