NPR: Trump administration to shutter an immigration court, adding to judges' backlog

Kevin R. Johnson

14 Jan 2026 — 1 min read

Change keeps coming to the immigration courts. NPR reports that the Trump administration plans to close the San Francisco Immigration Court by the end of the year. The chief immigration judge has sent an email about the closure to court employees and judges. The email explained that personnel will move to the Concord Immigration Court, approximately 30 miles away. San Francisco's immigration court has been hit by the Trump administration's removal of judges.

A NPR review found that the Trump administration has dismissed nearly 100 judges in 2025. The nation. is starting this year with fewer than half the judges from a year ago. At least two courts — in Aurora, Colorado and in Oakdale, Louisiana — have no judges left, just the court supervisor.

With fewer judges and courts, immigrants are seeing their cases pushed back as far as 2030.

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ACLU: 76 Ways Mass Deportation Is Breaking Our Democracy

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Courthouse News Service: Judge scraps Trump challenge to in-state tuition for immigrant students in Virginia