{"id":71642,"date":"2026-04-28T17:07:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?p=71642"},"modified":"2026-05-13T17:41:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T00:41:26","slug":"san-francisco-immigration-court-closes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/san-francisco-immigration-court-closes\/","title":{"rendered":"Dismantling S.F. immigration courts creates confusion, missed hearings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amid growing chaos and uncertainty within the U.S. immigration system, the Department of Justice has moved to dismantle San Francisco\u2019s immigration court infrastructure, transferring most cases and staff to Concord and other nearby locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first major change came May 1, when the immigration court at 100 Montgomery St. abruptly closed. The courthouse had operated for more than three decades, despite its lease running through 2027. The closure was announced by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the federal agency that oversees immigration courts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Days after the closure, EOIR announced that San Francisco\u2019s remaining immigration court at 630 Sansome St. will operate only as a satellite hearing location under the administrative control of the Concord immigration court beginning Sept. 4, 2026. Most immigration cases are expected to be reassigned nearly 30 miles away at Concord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee esta historia en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In both cases, the Department of Justice has justified the changes as a cost-saving measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immigrant advocates warn the court changes are already causing confusion, with some people arriving at the wrong courthouse or missing hearings entirely. According to a KQED report, missed immigration court appearances recently contributed to a surge in deportation orders: In one week alone, more than 800 people were ordered removed after failing to appear in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re sending these notices out so last minute that people are not getting them in time for the hearings,\u201d Millie Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco, told El Tecolote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missing a hearing can carry severe consequences. \u201cYou lose your opportunity to apply for asylum,\u201d Atkinson said. \u201cAnd it can be very difficult, very expensive to try to get the case reopened by having to hire an attorney and pay all these fees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immediate challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Atkinson said the most urgent issue is ensuring immigrants understand the current status and location of their hearings, especially as several problems emerge during the transition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n