The NAACP is spearheading a lawsuit against the Census Bureau and President Donald Trump, warning that the federal government is unprepared for the 2020 Census.
The lawsuit contends that understaffing, inadequate funding and use of on-line forms will lead to a massive undercounting of minorities.
Bradford Berry, general counsel for the NAACP, says that when the group sought government records to help it prepare for the census, it came to the conclusion "we were witnessing a train wreck in the making."
The plaintiffs want a federal judge to require the Census Bureau to take measures to avoid an undercount.
Prince George's County, Maryland, joined in the lawsuit. Its elected leaders say the county will lose critical federal funds and voting power if the 2020 Census takes place without major changes.
On Tuesday, the state of California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to try to prevent a question about citizenship from appearing on the 2020 Census.