The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has announced the closure of the National Archives at San Francisco and its adjacent Federal Records Center, located in San Bruno, California, within three years. Save OUR National Archives (SONA) has learned from sources that the move of records from these facilities could begin as soon as August 2026.

The closure of the National Archives at San Francisco, which houses records for northern California, most of Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands, removes historical materials from their places and communities of relevance. The effective loss of access to these artifacts - and the history they contain - would be a terrible blow to historians, researchers, families, and students, and ultimately be detrimental to our communities and overall American History.

With concerns that records may be moved soon, SONA is asking for the public’s help to oppose these closures, to stop the re-location of historic records, and to keep these facilities open to the public.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

TAKE ACTION - SIGN CHANGE.ORG PETITION

TAKE ACTION - CONTACT FEDERAL OFFICIALS

SONA is continuing to organize on a national scale. For more information, press coverage, and action resources, follow us on Facebook.

SONA also opposes the proposed closure of the National Archives at Chicago. Watch this space for more details on the campaign to keep the Chicago facility open.

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“In the Matter of the Identification of Wong Kim Ark”, May 14, 1904. Return Certificate Application Case File of Wong Kim Ark, 12017/42223. Records of the San Francisco District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Record Group 85. National Archives at San Francisco.

Organization of American Historians Strongly Opposes Closure of National Archives Regional Locations

“While the administration insists that it wants Americans to engage more deeply with their history, it announced just 10 days ago that it is simultaneously moving to close National Archives facilities in San Bruno, California, and Chicago, Illinois. These facilities are vital to evidence-based historical scholarship, as they hold irreplaceable records, including at San Bruno the original case file from United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the 1898 decision that helped establish birthright citizenship.

“The National Archives at San Francisco, located in San Bruno, holds more than 75,000 cubic feet of immigration, court, and genealogical records documenting communities across the West Coast and Pacific, while the National Archives at Chicago holds more than 140,000 cubic feet of historical federal records spanning 1800 to the early 2000s for communities across the Midwest. Together, these two facilities safeguard federal records for tens of millions of Americans across the western and midwestern United States. The administration cannot credibly claim they want more American history while making it harder for Americans to access the records that inform that history.”

— Statement from the Organization of American Historians, July 6, 2026

From the collections of National Archives at San Francisco