San Francisco's main immigration court has shut down, plunging the region's asylum system into chaos and dysfunction. The court, which once boasted 21 judges at the start of President Donald Trump's second term, was reduced to just two by the time it closed on May 1. The remaining judges have been reassigned to a federal building across the bay, but the primary court is no more.
Background of the Closure
The closure is part of a broader upheaval in the immigration court system as the administration seeks to tackle a massive backlog of 3.8 million asylum cases and expedite deportations. Asylum denial rates have soared after nearly 100 judges perceived as too liberal were fired. Military lawyers are being brought in to replace them, and immigrants have been arrested when attending court hearings. San Francisco is the first major city to lose its primary immigration court, a move that has left many scrambling.
Impact on Asylum Seekers
The court had the third-highest number of asylum cases in the nation, with 117,000 cases now transferred to a courthouse in Concord, about 30 miles away. That facility, which had 11 judges at the start of 2025, is now down to five after a series of firings. It already had a caseload of 60,000 cases before absorbing San Francisco's docket. From 2019 to 2024, nearly 75% of petitioners in San Francisco received some form of relief, compared to 43% nationwide, thanks in part to a robust network of pro-immigrant organizations and legal services.
Judge Firings and Their Consequences
Jeremiah Johnson, a former San Francisco immigration judge fired in November, said the court's reputation for being immigrant-friendly may have led to its downfall. He noted that the vibrant legal scene made it a target. Johnson, now executive vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, granted asylum in 89% of his cases. He argued that firing judges for disagreeing with their decisions undermines the judicial process. Unlike federal courts with lifetime tenure, immigration judges are under the Justice Department and can be fired with fewer constraints.
Dana Leigh Marks, a retired San Francisco immigration judge with 35 years on the bench, described the closure as heartbreaking. She sees it as part of an effort to undermine due process and dismantle the asylum pathway. The Executive Office of Immigration Review announced in March that it would close the courthouse in 2027 as a cost-saving measure, but the end came early after nearly all judges left or were fired.
Practical Challenges for Attorneys and Clients
Judah Lakin, an immigration attorney based in Oakland, said the closure has made cases more time-consuming. Clients often travel hours to reach Concord via public transportation, and a recent 10-minute hearing took him over two hours of travel. Beyond logistics, the chaotic atmosphere has led to last-minute cancellations, case resets with little notice, and prolonged legal limbo for clients, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. One of Lakin's clients was provisionally granted asylum by a judge who was fired before signing the decision; the case was transferred to a second judge, also fired, and now awaits a third judge's ruling.
Nidaa Pervaiz, an attorney representing a client from Nepal at the Concord court, noted that fewer judges mean fewer hearings and more delays. Clients' paperwork can expire before they appear before a judge, putting their entire lives at stake. Security is tight at the Concord courthouse, with armed guards checking for weapons and requiring cell phones to be turned off.
Systemic Issues
Across the country, the number of immigration judges has dropped from 754 at the start of Trump's second term to about 600, including temporary judges. Widespread courthouse arrests have led to hundreds of people skipping hearings, resulting in deportation orders in absentia. The Trump administration's tactics are seen as a deliberate strategy to make the system more difficult for asylum seekers.
