Federal judge orders nationwide 2020 census counting to continue through October 31
The judgment is expected to be appealed by the Justice Department. The National Urban League and several other groups, including the city of Los Angeles, had sued the government, asking for a preliminary injunction to block the government from concluding the count on September 30.
In March, the census deadline for counting was extended until October 31 and the deadline for reporting totals to the President was extended to April 1 by the US Census Bureau after data collection had to be halted due to the pandemic.
In her ruling Thursday, US District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Census Bureau’s deadlines announced in August from going into effect.
Los Angeles’ City Attorney Mike Feuer said the injunction was a major win for a more accurate Census count in a statement released after the stay was issued. He also said he feels the Trump administration caused the abbreviated deadline.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
“Four out of 50 states reached the threshold for closing,” she said, referencing the Census Bureau’s latest data. “Why is the bureau insisting on ending data collection in seven days? … That means 46 states have not met the requirements yet.”
Alexander Sverdlov, an attorney representing the government, argued that delays in the case are hurting the Census Bureau’s ability to wind down counting and move to the number-crunching phase, which takes several months. He said the government is trying to meet a December 31 deadline to produce a final set of figures.
Internal documents released in the lawsuit and reviewed by CNN showed intense concern among career Census Bureau officials when they first got wind in late July that Ross might move up the deadline.
“It is ludicrous to think we can complete 100% of the nation’s data collection earlier than 10/31 and any thinking person who would believe we can deliver apportionment by 12/31 has either a mental deficiency or a political motivation,” wrote Tim Olson, who oversees the massive operation that sends employees door-to-door at households that have not responded to the survey.
CNN’s Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.
