By P.C. Staff
The latest countermove on the chessboard over the proposed closure of the National Archives and Records Administration’s San Bruno-based San Francisco National Archives facility and the effort to block the action occurred Oct. 14.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging NARA’s June decision to close the San Bruno facility and transfer its holdings to other facilities across the country.
See related story here.
In a news release, Bonta stated: “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,. The San Francisco National Archives holds records going back to 1850, when California was just becoming a state. These records tell the story of injustice, of some of the painful chapters of our nation’s history, and the people and communities who lived through them and fought for their rights. These records belong here, and I’ll fight to keep them here. The Trump administration won’t get away with cutting corners and putting up barriers between Californians and our history.”
The lawsuit asserts that the closure and transfer of the records held within the facility is “ … unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act (‘APA’). … NARA’s stated mission is to preserve public access to the Nation’s historical records. Accordingly, the Archivist, in exercising his authority under the National Archives and Records Administration Act (‘NARAA’), must act to preserve public access to archival material and consider the public’s interest when making decisions about the operation and maintenance of the National Archives and its records.”
The National JACL issued a statement late in the day on Oct. 15 in support of the lawsuit. In part it read:
The National Japanese American Citizens League issued a statement of its own late in the day on Oct. 15 in support of the lawsuit. In part it read: “JACL commends the State of California’s lawsuit challenging the planned closure of the National Archives at San Francisco in San Bruno, filed on October 14th, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. … Our history must remain accessible to communities whose stories these records preserve. JACL applauds Attorney General Bonta for protecting public access and ensuring that future generations can research, understand, and reckon with our nation’s history.”
In addition to JACL, community organizations such as Japanese American National Museum, Tsuru for Solidarity and Densho.org have expressed opposition to the proposed closure of the San Francisco facility and the out-of-state relocation of its contents .
To view the lawsuit, use this link.
To read JACL’s entire statement, visit here.
