The key to Rhode Islandâs successful census? Counting immigrants. We did this by going into the communities. Government cannot expect the people most in need to seek out services. Instead, it needs to bring the services to them. By Sabina MatosUpdated April 30, 2021, 10:07 a.m. Email to a Friend While the Trump administration was trying to stop the 2020 Census early, Rhode Island used innovative strategies to engage residents who were the hardest to reach.David Goldman/Associated Press Rhode Island breathed a collective sigh of relief this week when the US Census Bureau announced the stateâs population had grown enough to keep our two congressional seats. This was not a happy accident â it was the result of more than a yearâs worth of hard work to ensure we had an accurate count. While the Trump administration was trying to stop the 2020 Census early, Rhode Island used innovative strategies to engage residents who were the hardest to reach. The success of this direct outreach should be a model for delivering other government services.