The nation's once-a-decade head count cannot end early, a federal judge in California ruled late Thursday, reversing a Trump administration directive that would have halted the survey in a matter of days. 

The district court ruling is a victory, for now, for advocates who had been alarmed by the decision to end the Census this month, months ahead of schedule. 

The Census is key for states and local governments to determine congressional representation and federal funding allocations.

Collecting Census data has been especially challenging amid the coronavirus pandemic, and advocates have been concerned immigrant communities and communities of color will be undercounted this year, potentially leading to wide-ranging policy effects in the future.

“The court’s decision affirms our contention that changes to the census schedule will irreparably harm the integrity of the 2020 Census and result in a devastating undercount of vulnerable communities," said Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League. "Career officials at the Census Bureau opposed the shortened schedule precisely for these reasons, and to avoid the perception of political manipulation, and we are confident that integrity and equity will win out over the partisan vandalism that threatens our democracy.”