The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked without explanation a federal trial court ruling requiring the census count to continue through the end of October, allowing the Trump administration to halt the process two weeks early. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, Bloomberg reports.
The White House said the count needed to stop immediately so that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross can send President Trump a report by the statutory deadline on Dec. 31. Civil rights groups have said ending early will mean minority groups in certain areas will likely be undercounted and subsequently receive less political representation and federal funding than if a more accurate count was taken.
The activists have also argued that Trump asked to shorten the census schedule to accommodate a July order that would exclude undocumented immigrants from the count. The court is currently considering how to handle that order and will likely decide later this month whether they will hear arguments on the issue. Read more at Bloomberg and The Associated Press.