‘15,000 cases pending’: U.S. government closes San Francisco immigration courts four months ahead of schedule

The U.S. government closed the immigration court at 100 Montgomery Street in San Francisco earlier than planned, leaving thousands of cases pending and raising concerns among attorneys and attorneys about delays and missed hearings.The closure takes effect eight months earlier than originally planned and ends operations at one of the busiest immigration courts in the country. On the last day, there was only one person waiting for service.The move marks the quiet end of an agency that handled large numbers of asylum and deportation cases.According to legal experts, the shutdown affects approximately 15,000 pending cases.Bill Hing, a professor of law and immigration studies at the University of San Francisco, said the impact is huge. “We’re talking about 15,000 pending cases in San Francisco,” he said, according to ABC News. “This is a major immigration hub in the United States, and a lot of people who are applying for asylum come to San Francisco, come to the Bay Area, and it’s a big hit for them.”In the months leading up to the shutdown, the Department of Justice (DOJ) removed at least 20 of the court’s 22 immigration judges.Jeremiah Johnson, one of the fired judges, questioned why he was fired. Asked why he believed he was fired, Johnson said, “Because I did my job. The immigration judge took precedence over the removal proceedings. That’s what the law says.”Some legal observers believe the court’s asylum approval rate may have influenced the decision. Xing said the dismissal was related to the outcome of the case. “They want to fire the immigration judges who are impartial on asylum cases, so that’s the real reason to close that court,” he said.The Executive Office for Immigration Review said the decision was made for administrative reasons. It said it “believes it would be more cost-effective to relocate court operations at 100 Montgomery Street to the nearby Concord Immigration Court.”However, the relocation has raised fears of further delays. Immigration advocates say the Concord courthouse is already experiencing a heavy caseload and hearings may not begin until later this year.“In San Francisco, there are 120,000 pending cases. In Concord there’s half that, 60,000, and that’s where we are. What we’re hearing from the Concord courts is that they’re not going to start hearings until December,” said Sergio Jaime-Lopez, program manager for Community Defenders at the Center for Safety.The Executive Office for Immigration Review also said that new hearing notices will be issued to affected individuals. Still, legal advocates warn that confusion over case transfers can lead to missed court dates and possible deportation orders.Full text of the Ministry of Justice statement: “EOIR to Close San Francisco Immigration Court Sansome Street location to become hearing venue 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 venue under the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court at the close of business on September 12. February 4, 2026. EOIR worked with the General Services Administration to determine that it would be more cost-effective to relocate court operations at 100 Montgomery Street to the nearby Concord Immigration Court. EOIR will begin issuing new hearing notices to all parties whose cases have been reassigned to the Concord Immigration Court. Cases will still be decided promptly in Concord Immigration Court or remotely. – EOI” – Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice.”