The U.S. Census Bureau has launched a 100-day road tour to encourage residents of New England and upstate New York to complete the 2010 census as officials worry that some immigrants may ignore the forms.
U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Wade joined officials in Boston to kickoff the aggressive national campaign two months before census forms are mailed.
The push comes as officials fear immigrants might be too scared to fill out census forms. Advocates say that could hurt New England states since the area saw a rise in the immigration population over the last decade.
Wade said officials will tour 70 venues around New England and will place advertisements in different languages.
More than $400 billion in federal funds comes from census data.