That is the primary reason many people, especially members of minority communities, give for not participating in the census. This fear comes from a number of things. Some immigrants came to America from countries where the government was the greatest of all threats. If government agents were engaging in a mass campaign to reach every resident, the consequences could mean imprisonment, or even death. Others are afraid of the laws in this country.
Some immigrants are undocumented, and are afraid of being jailed or deported.
Others are forced to live in overcrowded conditions violating housing codes and are afraid of being evicted. Still others, although completely law-abiding, just don't understand the importance of the census and fear any kind of government involvement in their lives. It is time to set the record straight. The census is an initiative mandated by the U.S. Constitution that requires the government to count all people living in the United States citizens, legal residents, and the undocumented. Census questionnaires do not differentiate between legal and illegal residents.