The San Francisco immigration court closed on May 1, 2026, after only two judges remained following a purge that removed nearly all of its original 21 judges since January 2024 [1, 2]. The purge was part of the Trump administration’s efforts to replace liberal judges. Jeremiah Johnson said, "It was a vibrant legal scene and so I think if you were looking to target a court you would have to look at what San Francisco stands for" [1].
Before closure, the San Francisco court had a backlog of almost 117,000 immigration cases. These cases have mostly been transferred to the Concord immigration court, about 30 miles away [1, 2]. Concord opened in 2025 with 11 judges to help alleviate San Francisco’s heavy caseload. However, it now has only five judges after similar firings, and already carried a backlog of about 60,000 cases before receiving the transferred ones [1, 2].
The San Francisco court had been known as one of the most favorable venues for asylum seekers, granting some form of relief in about 75% of cases from 2019 to 2024, compared with a 43% nationwide average [1, 2]. Dana Leigh Marks criticized the closure, saying the Trump administration’s closure aimed to disrupt due process and increase deportations [2].
Immigrants face confusion and delays as hearings are canceled or rescheduled amid judge shortages. Judah Lakin remarked, "Concord is not only inconvenient to travel to, but severe judge shortages and frequent hearing cancellations force rushed rescheduling, trapping applicants in a prolonged legal limbo and risking deportation" [2].
Nationwide, immigration courts face a backlog of about 3.8 million cases, adding to the pressure on remaining courts like Concord [1, 2]. The two remaining San Francisco judges will relocate to another court across the bay [1, 2].
The closure came earlier than initially planned. In March 2026, the Executive Office of Immigration Review announced San Francisco court would close in 2027 to save costs, but the mass departure of judges accelerated the shutdown to May 1 [2].
