The San Francisco Immigration Court has shut its doors after the Trump administration did not renew its lease, upending practice for immigration attorneys and creating cascading complications for tens of thousands of clients. Approximately 100,000 cases are being moved to the Concord Immigration Court about an hour away, while about 17,000 cases will remain at 630 Sansome Street in San Francisco.
What changed
EOIR stopped holding hearings at the San Francisco Immigration Court’s Montgomery Street location effective May 1, 2026, with certain cases reassigned to the Sansome Street location and filings moved there beginning May 4, 2026. EOIR announced that the San Francisco Immigration Court would permanently close, with the Sansome Street location becoming a hearing location under the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court effective September 4, 2026. EOIR stated that the move was determined to be more cost effective.
The closure followed massive judge turnover. San Francisco’s court, which began 2025 with 21 judges, now has just four judges after 14 were fired and four were pressured into early retirements.
Why it matters
The court’s closure creates three layers of impact on your practice:
Logistical burden. Immigration attorneys report that the closure has made cases more time consuming since clients often travel from hours away, and one recent 10-minute hearing in Concord took more than two hours of travel. The Concord building is not very close to public transportation, and the courtrooms are located on the top floors with minimal signage and waiting areas.
Notice and rescheduling chaos. Legal advocates say the transition has already caused confusion for immigrants trying to keep track of court dates and hearing locations, and they fear the chaos could lead to missed hearings and deportation orders. Mass firings have led to last-minute hearing cancellations, cases have been reset with little notice, and clients are often left in prolonged legal limbo, leaving them vulnerable to deportation.
Due process concerns. Attorneys and advocates worry whether efficiency is beginning to outweigh due process. With fewer judges and courts, immigrants are seeing their cases pushed back as far as 2030, and lawyers say the delays make their clients more vulnerable to arrests and deportations.
The court closure also has strategic implications for asylum cases: San Francisco is No. 2 in the nation for representation, and lawyers point to that as one reason why immigrants there had a higher-than-average success rate at winning relief from deportation.
Way forward
- Verify case location immediately. Check all recent EOIR notices and verify whether your client’s case remains at the Sansome Street location or has been transferred to Concord. Confirm the new case number and jurisdiction.
- File venue-transfer motions where appropriate. For immigrants affected by the closure, an attorney can request venue changes where appropriate, update addresses, and prepare filings quickly if a hearing was missed.
- Prepare for longer travel and delays. Build additional travel time and logistics into your client meetings and hearing preparation. Consider coordinating with local volunteer attorneys in Concord if you practice remotely.
- Preserve appellate rights. Document any judge changes or hearing delays that affect your case (for example, a judge who was provisionally granting relief but was then fired), as these may support appeals or post-conviction motions.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for informational purposes only by a software company, not a law firm, and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration policy and court procedures change frequently without notice. You must verify all information against the primary source documents linked above and consult with a licensed immigration attorney about how these changes affect your specific case or practice. The closure timeline and case transfer procedures described here are accurate as of the publication date but may have been modified or clarified by subsequent EOIR directives.