Sharp cutbacks in field tests could threaten quality of 2030 U.S. census: Efforts to correct historic undercount of poor, immigrant, rural, and minority populations are at risk, critics say.

The article discusses concerns regarding the U.S. Census Bureau's decision to significantly reduce the scope of a trial run for the 2030 census, which critics argue may lead to an undercount of historically marginalized populations, including poor, immigrant, rural, and minority communities. Key changes include a reduction in test sites from six to two, a shift to an English-only online questionnaire, and a smaller target population for the field test. Experts express worry that these adjustments prioritize efficiency over accuracy and may hinder the Bureau's ability to effectively engage with diverse communities. The lack of transparency from the Census Bureau regarding these changes raises further concerns about the potential impact on the accuracy of the upcoming census. [Extracted from the article]