Concord Immigration Court Seeks Volunteer Attorneys
The National Lawyers Guild is asking Bay Area immigration attorneys to help with a court backlog of nearly 200,000 cases.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Immigration
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The National Lawyers Guild has called on Bay Area immigration attorneys to volunteer at the federal immigration court in Concord, which is backlogged by nearly 200,000 cases. The call follows the closure of San Francisco's immigration court in May, which shifted its caseload to Concord.
Why it matters
Many immigrants appearing before the Concord court face hearings without legal representation, and the Guild says only one person at a set of mass hearings had a lawyer. Motions filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyers are preventing hearings from being scheduled, according to the Guild.
The Concord court had roughly 170,000 pending cases at the end of September, according to TRAC, and the backlog has grown to nearly 200,000. Judges have issued deportation orders in absentia after rescheduling hearings, and how quickly the backlog will be addressed remains unclear.
The players
National Lawyers Guild
The National Lawyers Guild is a United States bar association founded in 1937 that advocates for civil rights and provides legal support for immigrants and social justice causes.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for immigration enforcement and deportation proceedings.
The details
Volunteer attorneys would supervise up to three law students on matters limited to filing motions, and the work can be done remotely for a few hours a week. Government lawyers have filed motions to pretermit asking judges to make immediate deportation decisions without further hearings.
Timeline
May 2026: San Francisco's immigration court closed, shifting cases to Concord.
End of September 2026: The Concord court had roughly 170,000 pending cases.
November 11, 2026: The National Lawyers Guild issued its call for volunteer attorneys.
Legal Context
TRAC's tracking of immigration court caseloads shows the Concord court's backlog reaching roughly 170,000 pending cases by late September. The National Lawyers Guild's volunteer appeal is a direct response to that documented growth in pending matters.
Bay Area attorneys can volunteer remotely for a few hours a week, supervising up to three law students on motions. Immigrants facing hearings at the Concord court without counsel may see their cases move forward, or be decided in absentia, with fewer chances to present a defense.
The takeaway
The Concord backlog shows how the closure of one court can push a large caseload onto another, leaving many people without representation. Volunteer legal help is one of the few immediate responses available while the backlog persists.
Further reading
For more on the policy fights shaping cases like these, see Immigration coverage on Wisevoter.
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