The Justice Department has shut a major San Francisco immigration court, and attorneys say the move will ripple quickly through an already clogged system.

The closure affects the courthouse at 100 Montgomery Street, a key venue for immigration proceedings in the Bay Area. Reports earlier this year indicated the site would close in January 2027, but the court shut last week instead. That abrupt timeline has fueled criticism from lawyers who say the decision injects confusion into active cases and scrambles access to hearings for immigrants, families, and legal teams.

Attorneys say the closure creates chaos at a moment when the Bay Area immigration system already struggles under heavy demand and limited judicial capacity.

The shutdown lands on top of a deeper strain inside the court system. Over the last year, the Department of Justice fired 20 of the court’s 22 judges, according to the reporting cited in the news signal. Critics argue those cuts have already weakened the court’s ability to move cases. They also point to broader accusations that the Trump administration has sought to reshape the immigration bench in line with its mass deportation agenda, though the full effect of that strategy remains contested.

Key Facts

  • The Department of Justice closed the immigration court at 100 Montgomery Street in San Francisco last week.
  • Earlier reports indicated the courthouse would remain open until January 2027.
  • Attorneys warn the closure will worsen Bay Area immigration case backlogs and disrupt hearings.
  • Reports indicate 20 of the court’s 22 judges were fired over the last year.

The administration has described the shutdown as a cost-effective measure, but critics say that logic ignores the human and legal consequences. Immigration court delays already stretch cases over long periods, and any disruption can carry real stakes for people fighting removal or seeking relief. When a major courthouse closes without much runway, even routine questions — where to appear, which judge will hear a matter, how files will move — can turn into barriers.

What happens next will matter far beyond one building in downtown San Francisco. The immediate test will center on how the Justice Department reallocates hearings, judges, and staff, and whether it can do so without deepening delays. For immigrants in the Bay Area, the closure signals more than an administrative shift: it raises fresh questions about access to due process in a system already under intense political and operational pressure.