US Supreme Court halts 2020 census

The United States Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration’s call to stop the 2020 census early in order to select, in time, the number of congressional seats each state gets.

Washington debated the high court needed to reverse an order by a US district court that intended to prolong the headcount until the end of October which, according to the administration, would consequently not leave enough time for releasing the final figures before a congressionally mandated deadline.

The census count’s accuracy is critical, as it determines how the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures draw voting districts during the next round of redistricting and guides the federal government in allocating $1.5 trillion a year in aid.