In a period of constant threats of increased ICE arrests and raids, an entire housing complex of Latinos in North Carolina have been asked to fill out a Census Test Survey that asks if the family members are U.S. citizens, and also asks for the respondent’s name and phone number.  The Census Test Survey form, which was sent to approximately 480,000 housing units, is supposedly to “help fine-tune the planning for the 2020 Census Nonresponse Follow Up (NRFU) operation,” according to the Census Bureau’s website.  “We are actively working to protect our community from the mass deportations threatened by President Trump. Asking the citizenship question in the Census Test Survey, along with personally identifying information, is an iron-clad guarantee that many immigrants will not respond,” said Jose Hernandez de Paris, executive director of the Charlotte, NC Latin American Coalition.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the administration’s attempt to include a question regarding citizenship on the actual Census 2020 Survey, and President Trump himself abandoned his campaign for its inclusion, the U.S. Census Bureau has sent out nearly a quarter of a million Census Test Surveys asking: “Is Person 1 a citizen of the United States?” Half of the Survey recipients have received the Census Test Survey with a citizenship question; while the other half will receive the Census Test Survey without a citizenship question. The Citizenship question was rejected after voluminous proof was offered that it suppresses immigrant response rates and was likely included to intentionally dilute Latino voting strength. The National Partnership for New Americans actively advocated against its inclusion in the U.S. Census.  Senior Census Bureau officials have confirmed verbally at several public meetings that community members will be able to skip questions on the Census form and still submit the form. A form with a skipped question will still be counted.