Earlier this month, Adrian Roselli, a 45-year-old software consultant living in Buffalo, New York, received a government survey in the mail that didn't just ask his age and address. It also wanted to know whether he was a U.S. citizen, with a warning on the envelope:"Your response is required by law."
Roselli said his immediate reaction was to distrust how the government would handle the data. Ultimately, he decided to fill it out because he said he assumed his information was already"out there somewhere."But he said he sympathized with people of color who are more likely to feel targeted by the government.
The data from the census is then used to decide how congressional districts are divided and the amount of resources are given to local communities. "Immigrant communities are fearful at this point in time. Understanding that there are a number of ICE raids that are happening across the country, that makes it a very real threat," said Banerji."And so, when you think about filling out a form that has sensitive household data or information, even if the question is not on there, there is still that sense of dread."
Still, the American Community Survey remains unnerving for some Americans, particularly with the warning that it's against the law to ignore it. Wilson said in the wake of the Trump administration's tough stance on immigration, she is wary of how the government would use the information.
Not this citizen