Stop the Closure of National Archives Regional Facilities in Chicago and San Bruno

Block the closure of the National Archives regional facilities in Chicago and San Bruno immediately. These closures were decided without any public discussion, and records could be removed as early as September. That timeline is unacceptable for a decision of this magnitude. What's at stake is irreplaceable: Alcatraz inmate files, Chinese Exclusion-era Alien Case Files, Native American residential school records, World War II internment records for Italian and German Americans, and photographs and letters from homefront workers. Many of these items are too fragile to survive a move and too sensitive to digitize. Closing these facilities doesn't just inconvenience researchers — it severs communities from their own history. These are the documents that let families trace how their ancestors arrived in this country. NARA's own 2026-2030 Strategic Plan commits to increasing accessibility of records and fostering community engagement. Shutting down two regional archives contradicts that mission entirely. The cost savings are negligible; the cultural loss is permanent. Demand a halt to these closures and require transparent public consultation before any further action is taken.