The US government has closed the immigration courthouse at 100 Montgomery Street in San Francisco earlier than planned, leaving thousands of cases in limbo and raising concerns among lawyers and advocates about delays and missed hearings.The closure took effect eight months ahead of schedule and ended operations at one of the nation’s busiest immigration courts. On its last day, only one person was seen waiting for services.The move marked the quiet end of a facility that handled a large volume of asylum and deportation cases.According to legal experts, around 15,000 pending cases are affected by the bandh.Bill Hing, a professor of law and migration studies at the University of San Francisco, said the impact is significant. According to ABC News, he said, “We’re talking about 15,000 cases that are in limbo in San Francisco. It’s a major hub of immigration into the US. A lot of people who are applying for asylum come to San Francisco, come to the Bay Area and this is a big blow to them.”In the months before the closure, the Department of Justice (DOJ) removed at least 20 of the court’s 22 immigration judges.One of the dismissed judges, Jeremiah Johnson, questioned why he was dismissed. When asked why he believed he was fired, Johnson said, “To do my job. Immigration judges are before removal proceedings. That’s what the law says.”Some legal observers believe that the court’s asylum approval rates may have influenced the decision. Hing suggested that the dismissal was linked to the results of the case. “They wanted to get rid of the immigration judges who were impartial in asylum cases, so that’s the real reason for closing this court,” he said.The Executive Office of Immigration Review said the decision was taken for administrative reasons. It said it “has been determined that it would be more cost effective to relocate its court operations to the nearby Concord Immigration Court at 100 Montgomery Street.”However, the transfer has raised concerns about further delays. Immigration advocates say the Concord court is already overloaded with cases and trials may not begin until later this year.“In San Francisco, there are 120,000 cases pending. Concord has half that — 60,000 — and that’s where we are. What we’re hearing from the court in Concord is that they won’t start hearings until December,” said Sergio Jaime-Lopez, community defender program manager for the SAFE Center.The Executive Office of Immigration Review also said that new hearing notices would be issued to affected individuals. Despite this, legal advocates warn that confusion over case transfer could lead to missed court dates and possible deportation orders.Full DOJ details: “EOIR will close the San Francisco Immigration Court, the Court’s Sansome Street location will become the venue for hearings in FALLS CHURCH, Virginia. – The Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) today announced that the San Francisco Immigration Court will permanently close, and its Sansom Street location will become the venue for hearings under the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court at the close of business in September. 4, 2026. Working with the General Services Administration, EOIR determined that it would be more cost effective to relocate its court operations to the nearby Concord Immigration Court at 100 Montgomery Street. EOIR will begin issuing new hearing notices to all parties whose cases have been reassigned to Concord Immigration Court. Cases will still be adjudicated in a timely manner either in Concord Immigration Court or remotely. – EOI” – Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ.”
