Trump Administration Orders Closure of San Francisco Immigration Court Amidst 120,000-Case Backlog
SAN FRANCISCO – The Trump administration has moved to permanently close the main San Francisco Immigration Court, a decision that legal experts warn could paralyze an already overwhelmed system. The Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) informed staff this week that the lease for the courthouse at 100 Montgomery Street will not be renewed, signaling a shutdown of operations at the facility by January 2027.
The closure comes at a critical moment for the court, which is currently struggling under the weight of approximately 120,000 pending immigration cases. According to sources familiar with the transition, the administration plans to transfer the massive docket and remaining staff to the Concord Immigration Court, located roughly 30 miles east of San Francisco. Legal advocates argue that shifting such a high volume of cases to a smaller suburban venue will exacerbate logistical hurdles for attorneys, witnesses, and respondents, potentially leading to significant delays in due process.
This announcement follows a turbulent period for the San Francisco bench. Over the past year, the court has seen a dramatic reduction in its judicial roster. Once staffed by 21 immigration judges, the court has been reduced to just four active judges following a wave of firings and retirements initiated by the administration in late 2025. Critics have characterized these personnel cuts as a systematic dismantling of the immigration adjudication process, designed to stall hearings rather than expedite them.
While the Department of Justice has cited “cost-effectiveness” as the primary driver for the consolidation, the move has drawn sharp rebuke from the National Association of Immigration Judges and local legal advocacy groups. They contend that the combination of a decimated judicial workforce and the closure of a major urban legal hub will likely freeze thousands of asylum claims and deportation proceedings indefinitely. The smaller San Francisco satellite location at 630 Sansome Street is expected to remain open, though its capacity is insufficient to absorb the main court’s caseload.
The closure marks one of the most significant structural changes to the federal immigration court system in California under the current administration, raising questions about the future handling of the state’s record-breaking backlog.
