California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the National Archives and Records Administration on Wednesday, Oct. 14, asking a federal judge in San Francisco to block the planned closure of the National Archives at San Francisco in San Bruno and stop the agency from shipping its holdings to other states. In a San Bruno press conference covered by Courthouse News Service, Bonta said the first boxes of records could leave as soon as this week.
The facility holds more than 175 years of Northern and Central California history. Researchers, tribes, families and state agencies that need in-person access say moving the files would put that history out of reach. See our earlier report on NARA's defense of the closure plan, and local races on the Election 2026 hub.
What the lawsuit asks for
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that NARA's decision is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Bonta's office says the agency acted without meaningful public notice or consultation with the state, tribes and other stakeholders who use the research room.
The attorney general wants the court to vacate the closure decision and prohibit transfers from San Bruno. "California won't stand idly by while the Trump Administration hauls away records that tell the stories of generations of immigrants, Tribal communities, and California families," Bonta said in the state's press release.
What is at San Bruno
According to the Attorney General's Office, the San Bruno site holds more than 75,000 cubic feet of records from federal agencies in Northern and Central California, Hawaii, most of Nevada, Guam and American Samoa. Holdings include immigration and genealogical files from the Chinese Exclusion Act era, Japanese American incarceration case records — including materials tied to Fred Korematsu — Indian boarding school records, tribal enrollment and land files, and Navy and Coast Guard documents linked to Pearl Harbor.
Less than 4% of National Archives holdings nationwide are digitized, the state says, and some materials are too fragile to scan without risk of damage. Courthouse News quoted Bonta saying most of the San Bruno records are not digitized, so relocating them could leave communities without access for years while the move is underway.
Why the timing matters
NARA told employees in June 2026 that it planned to close the San Francisco and Chicago archives within a few years and would begin moving records "within the next few months." In August it posted that San Bruno's collection would be split among five National Archives facilities. The state's Oct. 14 release says transfers of NASA records to the Fort Worth facility could begin as soon as this week.
California agencies use the stacks for legally required research on state construction projects. The Attorney General's Office said California State Parks and its contractors visited San Bruno more than ten times while refurbishing the Angel Island barracks. UC Berkeley professor Andrew Leong regularly sends students there for Asian American history research that is available only on site, the state said.
Who else is speaking out
Heather Hostler of California Indian Legal Services told Courthouse News the records are vital for tribes seeking federal recognition. Mike Ishii of Tsuru for Solidarity called the move "a form of historical erasure." NARA has said the San Bruno and Chicago closures address underused space as the government shifts to electronic records; Courthouse News could not reach the agency for comment on the suit, and NBC Bay Area said the administration did not immediately comment.
For more Peninsula coverage, see San Mateo Measure F and South San Francisco childcare cuts.