San Francisco Immigration Court Closes, Affecting Over 100,000 Pending Cases
The Justice Department has shut down the main immigration courthouse in San Francisco, relocating over 100,000 pending cases to a court in Concord, California, about an hour away. The San Francisco court was one of the nation's busiest immigration courts and had the highest asylum approval rate in the country, granting asylum in about 70% of cases compared to the national average of 50%. The closure comes as the Trump administration pursues stricter immigration policies, raising concerns among advocates and attorneys that the move is strategically designed to discourage asylum seekers.
The Justice Department announced it would not renew the lease on the San Francisco immigration courthouse at 100 Montgomery Street, which housed 21 courtrooms and served a broad jurisdiction covering California's Central Valley to central Oregon. The closure, accelerated from the end of the year to an earlier date, follows the termination and resignation of nearly all judges at that location. Approximately 100,000 cases will be transferred to the Concord Immigration Court across the San Francisco Bay, while about 17,000 cases will remain at a smaller San Francisco location with only two operating courtrooms. The DOJ cited cost savings as the official reason for the closure and stated that immigration judges can hear cases anywhere in the country to manage caseloads. However, immigration attorneys and legal scholars argue the timing and location of the closure appear strategically designed to create barriers for asylum seekers, particularly given the San Francisco court's historically high approval rate of approximately 70% for asylum applications—significantly above the national average of 50%.
What different sources said
- NPR NewsLeft
San Francisco immigration court shuts down, striking at heart of historic advocacy
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