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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Mayor Eric Garcetti said he will join volunteers today in helping with the effort to get more people to complete the U.S. Census before the Aug. 14 deadline amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Garcetti said Friday during his COVID-19 pandemic update he is encouraging more people to join the Goodwill Ambassadors to volunteer to help residents complete the census, as only 52% of Angelenos have completed it, according to Garcetti.
”Don't lose out. Don't give money to some other part of this country. Get your money and fill out the census forms now,'' Garcetti said, adding that the census determines political boundaries and allocation of federal funding based on populations.
”We need everyone to get counted.''
Garcetti also alluded to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that blocked citizenship questions from being added to the census and assured people who are living in Los Angeles and are not citizens that their information would not be harvested by the federal government in order to enact deportation operations.
”It is a crime for the Census Bureau to share that with any other agency or department, so don't have any fear and make sure you are counted to because the census says everybody counts, including you and your families,'' Garcetti said.
It was not announced where or when Garcetti will join volunteers.
Garcetti said the Goodwill Ambassadors will add census flyers to food bank boxes that will be delivered to families in need. The boxes are being provided by the nonprofit organization Urban Partners.
Garcetti said people can sign up to volunteer at signup@census.lacity.org. People can also file their census forms online at 2020census.gov.