Inside San Francisco's hollowed-out immigration court, where asylum is 'essentially over'

"Outside the San Francisco immigration court building at 630 Sansome St., a long line of people carrying manila folders stuffed with documents waited nervously for their check-in appointments last Thursday. Those waiting outside were in line for their mandatory check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - appointments that allow federal officials to track the whereabouts and status of those in the immigration system.Inside, a separate group of people wait to appear before a judge and argue their case to stay in the country."

"Asylum-seekers often wait years before getting inside for their day in court. But today, those court appearances only put them closer to deportation, with little chance of staying in the country. "Asylum is essentially over," said Jesus Ibanez, an immigration attorney representing a client at the Sansome courthouse on Thursday. Instead, Department of Homeland Security attorneys rapidly close out cases, which attorneys say is a way to encourage asylum-seekers to self-deport."

"San Francisco's ever-shrinking court At the Sansome Street courthouse, a single courtroom handles what are called "master-calendar hearings," the first step in the process, where judges hear multiple cases at once for scheduling. Those take place on Thursdays and Fridays. The other three days of the week, the courtrooms are deserted: 17 of the 21 judges assigned to San Francisco's two immigration courts a year ago have been fired since June 2025, and the court's capacity to hear cases has drastically decreased."

"But last Thursday, Judge Frank A. Seminerio, appointed in 2021, sat on the bench, moving through 33 cases. He now splits his time between the city's two immigration courts, andlater in the day went to the courtrooms at 100 Montgomery St., where he would handle another load of cases. But in no case is there an actual asylum hearing. He once heard full cases and made decisions. Nowadays, cases are pushed through a process known as \""

Long lines form outside the San Francisco immigration court as people wait mandatory check-in appointments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Inside, separate groups await judges for removal proceedings, but asylum hearings are rarely held. Master-calendar hearings occur only on Thursdays and Fridays in a single courtroom while most courtrooms sit empty after widespread firings removed 17 of 21 judges since June 2025. Department of Homeland Security attorneys rapidly close cases, which attorneys say pressures asylum-seekers to self-deport. Judge Frank A. Seminerio now splits time between two courthouses and processes dozens of cases without full asylum hearings.

Read at Mission Local