Census extension ordered by judge for an additional month in 2020

Civil rights advocates and local administrations assert that the abbreviated timetable could lead to an underestimation of residents in ethnic and hard-to-reach neighborhoods.

, and Administrator

2025 September 16 . 1:40 PM

1 min read

Census extension ordered by judge for an additional month in 2020

The once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident will now continue until the end of October, following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. The judge's decision came late Thursday after hearing arguments from attorneys for the Census Bureau, as well as attorneys for civil rights groups and local governments.

Judge Rakoff's preliminary injunction suspends the end-of-the-year deadline for the Census Bureau, a move that was welcomed by those who argued that a shortened schedule would undercount residents in minority and hard-to-count communities.

The initial schedule for the 2020 census had the head count finishing at the end of September. However, government attorneys argued that the census must finish by the end of September to meet a Dec. 31 deadline for turning over numbers used for deciding how many congressional seats each state gets and for distributing $1.5 trillion in federal spending each year.

Judge Rakoff, on the other hand, expressed concerns about the potential inaccuracies that could arise from a shortened schedule. He stated that such inaccuracies would affect the distribution of federal funding and political representation.

Attorneys for the Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce, which oversees the agency, had stated during the hearing that they would likely appeal the judge's decision.

The San Jose, California-based judge had previously issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Census Bureau from winding down field operations. The extended deadline will provide additional time for the Census Bureau to complete its work and ensure an accurate count of every U.S. resident.