The Census Bureau is halting its field operations to count the population a month ahead of schedule, the agency's director announced in a statement Monday night, raising fears of a national undercount.
Steven Dillingham said in a statement posted on the bureau's website that the agency is ending all of its counting efforts on Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously expected, which means all enumerators who are door-knocking to collect responses from those who have not already self-responded online, by phone or by mail will halt their efforts then.
He also said those self-response options will also close on that date.
The move has raised fears among various civil rights groups, researchers and other experts who fear that a significant portion of the population, such as minorities and immigrants, could be left of out the tally.