Supreme Court Says No, for Now, on Census Citizenship Question

The U.S. Supreme Court put on hold the Trump administration’s plan to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census, calling the Commerce Department’s explanation “contrived” and setting up a race against time for the government to put forward a justification that can pass legal muster.

Acting Thursday in the marquee case of its term, a divided court said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’s rationale -- that the citizenship question would help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act -- couldn’t be squared with the evidence about its motivations.

“Altogether, the evidence tells a story that does not match the ...