Critical Change for Immigration Cases in San Francisco!

The San Francisco Immigration Court was permanently closed as of September 4, 2026, following a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). With the ruling, the majority of the court's files were transferred to the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court, located about 28 miles away.

EOIR announced that moving the court operations in San Francisco from 100 Montgomery Street would be less costly. The agency said that under the new arrangement, cases in San Francisco would be handled by the Concord Immigration Court, and hearings could take place in Concord or remotely.

Over 115,000 files were transferred to Concord.

With the closure of the San Francisco Immigration Court, the majority of the more than 115,000 pending cases will be consolidated under the Concord Immigration Court. This will further increase the workload of the already heavily caseloaded Concord Court.

The Concord Immigration Court is located at 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850, Concord. The court’s official business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

630 Sansome Street will continue to be used.

Closure does not mean that the courtroom facilities at 630 Sansome Street in San Francisco are being completely shut down.

According to the official statement issued by EOIR in May, the Sansome Street building will continue to be used as a courtroom under the administrative control of the Concord Immigration Court after September 4.

Therefore, individuals with cases in San Francisco are not automatically considered to have had their hearings moved to the building in Concord. Some hearings will take place at 630 Sansome Street, while others may be held in Concord or remotely.

Hearing Notices Have Become Critical

EOIR announced that it will begin sending new hearing notices to parties whose files have been reassigned. Therefore, it is important for individuals with immigration cases not to act based on their old hearing information.

In particular, the hearing date, time, location, and the court to which the file is attached should be verified against the new notice. EOIR also notes that case information can be tracked through the online system or by communicating with the court.

The changes in San Francisco began earlier.

The transformation at the San Francisco Immigration Court actually began before September 4. EOIR announced that hearings at 100 Montgomery Street would be discontinued as of May 1, 2026, and had transferred some files to 630 Sansome Street.

Thus the final phase of immigration court operations in San Francisco also concluded on September 4. After that, the system's administrative hub will be in Concord, while the Sansome Street building in San Francisco will continue to be used for certain hearings.

A New Era for Immigrants

The court's closure does not mean that immigration cases in San Francisco have ended. The changes mainly concern which court will have administrative control over the files and where the hearings will be held.

Therefore, individuals with files at the San Francisco Immigration Court must carefully monitor new notifications. Instead of assuming that the next hearing will take place on the old date, before the old judge, or at the old address, they should verify the details in the official notice.