San Francisco Immigration Court Reportedly Closes, Leaving Thousands of Asylum Seekers in Limbo
Key Takeaways
- It has been reported that the immigration court in San Francisco has closed, allegedly affecting thousands of pending asylum cases and scheduled hearings.
- Asylum seekers in removal proceedings may see hearings postponed, transferred, or converted to remote sessions; work-authorization timelines and relief waits will likely be delayed.
- Immediate steps: contact your attorney or accredited representative, update your address with the court and USCIS, and monitor EOIR case status for notices.
- This closure compounds an already large EOIR backlog of more than two million pending cases and underscores longer waits for relief or removal decisions.
What happened and who is affected
It has been reported that the immigration court in San Francisco has shut its doors, affecting dozens — allegedly thousands — of immigrants with pending removal and asylum cases. The court is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Department of Justice unit that runs immigration courts and judges. Asylum applicants who were scheduled for master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, or who were awaiting decisions may see their dates canceled, rescheduled, or moved to other venues or remote formats.
Immediate practical steps for people in proceedings
If you have a case before the San Francisco court, contact your attorney or accredited representative right away. If you do not have counsel, seek legal help through local legal aid or nonprofit clinics. Make sure the court and immigration agencies have your current mailing address — you can file a change of address with the immigration court (EOIR form) and with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) using Form AR‑11, as appropriate. Check EOIR’s online case status tools or the automated phone line regularly for updates, and keep copies of all filings and notices. If you receive no notice, do not assume your case is closed; failure to appear at a rescheduled hearing can lead to a removal order.
Wider context and what this means going forward
This closure, reported amid an already massive national backlog of EOIR cases (more than two million pending), likely means longer waits for asylum decisions, delayed access to work authorization tied to asylum filings, and prolonged uncertainty for families. EOIR has in the past shifted hearings between in-person and remote formats and transferred dockets to other courts when facilities closed; such measures may be used again. For applicants, the immediate reality is uncertainty — and the practical priority is staying informed, maintaining current contact information with the court and USCIS, and securing legal representation to protect rights in a system with lengthy delays.
Source: Original Article