Milwaukee leaders react to Census undercount of minority populations

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The U.S. Census Bureau said its 2020 count of the country's population was mostly accurate, but it overcounted white residents while undercounting Black, Latino and Native American populations.

The agency released national data of initial estimates in a report on March 10. 

"I'm happy that the Census recognizes this and I'm happy that we'll make sure that the numbers are right here in the city of Milwaukee," Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. "We want to make sure that every person in our city is counted so that we can get the resources that we need."

The biggest concern is how a potential undercount of Milwaukee's minority populations may impact distribution of resources by the federal government.

"When it comes down to the undercount, it takes a blow to many municipalities when we think about the dollars that follows those individuals," Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley told CBS 58.

For leaders like Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa, the undercount report from the bureau underscores efforts by the city's Latino community to form a third Latino-majority aldermanic district, a goal they fell short of this year.

"The Latino community was right when we rose up and fought on redistricting and unfortunately the census came back too late to say 'we undercounted,'" Zamarripa said in an interview.

Latino activist groups are considering legal options to revise the aldermanic maps and could use the undercount as part of their argument.

Census over and undercount estimates at the state level are expected to be published this summer.