Trump DOJ Closes SF Asylum Factory That Approved Cases at Four Times the National Rate [WATCH]

The federal government closed the San Francisco Immigration Court at 100 Montgomery Street ahead of schedule, leaving thousands of immigration cases in transition and prompting concerns among legal advocates about delays and confusion.

The closure, which took effect prior to the originally planned timeline, impacts a court widely considered a central hub for immigration proceedings in the United States.

During the court’s final hours of operation, only one individual remained in line for services as operations concluded.

Legal experts and advocates say the shutdown places approximately 15,000 cases in uncertainty within San Francisco alone.

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Bill Hing, a professor of law and migration studies at the University of San Francisco, described the scope of the impact.

“We are talking about 15,000 cases that are in limbo in San Francisco. It’s a major hub of immigration in the U.S. Many people who are applying for asylum come to San Francisco, come to the Bay Area, and this is major blow for them,” Hing said.

Ahead of the May 1 closure, the Department of Justice dismissed at least 20 of the court’s 22 immigration judges.

One of those judges, Jeremiah Johnson, spoke publicly in December about his termination.

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When asked why he believed he was fired, Johnson said, “For doing my job. Immigration judges precede over removal proceedings. That is what the law states.”

Hing said he believes the court’s asylum approval rates were a factor in the decision to close the facility.

“They wanted to get rid of immigration judges that were fair when it came to asylum cases, so that is the real reason for closing this court,” Hing said.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which operates under the U.S. Department of Justice, said the decision was based on operational considerations.

In a statement, the agency said it “determined it would be more cost effective to relocate its court operations at 100 Montgomery Street to the nearby Concord Immigration Court.”

The closure shifts cases from San Francisco to the Concord Immigration Court, where officials and advocates are already anticipating increased caseloads and scheduling challenges.

Sergio Jaime-Lopez, community defender program manager for the Safe Center, said the transition could significantly extend wait times.

“In San Francisco, there are 120,000 cases pending. In Concord is half — 60,000 — and that’s where we are. What we are hearing from the court in Concord is that they won’t start the hearings until December,” Jaime-Lopez said.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review said it will begin notifying individuals about the reassignment of their cases.

“EOIR will begin issuing new hearing notices to all parties whose cases are reassigned to the Concord Immigration Court,” the agency said.

However, legal advocates say the transition has already created complications for individuals navigating the system.

Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the Bar Association of San Francisco, said some individuals have not received timely notice of changes to their hearings.

“We’ve had a lot of cases and received a lot of information about people who had their hearing changed, and they were not aware of it, and they got a notice afterwards that their case was closed,” Atkinson said.

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Advocates have warned that missed notices or confusion about new court dates could result in missed hearings, which in some cases can lead to removal orders.

In a detailed statement, the Executive Office for Immigration Review confirmed that the San Francisco Immigration Court will permanently close and that its Sansome Street location will transition to a hearing site under the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court.

“EOIR to Close the San Francisco Immigration Court Court’s Sansome Street Location Will Become a Hearing Location FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced today that the San Francisco Immigration Court will permanently close, and its Sansome Street location will become a hearing location under the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court, at the close of business on Sept. 4, 2026. EOIR, working with the General Services Administration, determined it would be more cost effective to relocate its court operations at 100 Montgomery Street to the nearby Concord Immigration Court. EOIR will begin issuing new hearing notices to all parties whose cases are reassigned to the Concord Immigration Court. Cases will still be timely adjudicated either at the Concord Immigration Court or remotely. – EOI,” the statement said.

The transition marks a significant change for immigration proceedings in the Bay Area, as cases previously handled in San Francisco are reassigned to Concord while officials continue to manage the expanded caseload.

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