National Archives to close key regional facilities in Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is moving forward with plans to shut down several regional archives, including the San Francisco (San Bruno) facility, the Chicago Regional Archives and Federal Records Center, and the Seattle Federal Records Center. The closures would end public access to physical collections that hold millions of documents, such as Japanese‑American records, tribal nation treaty and trust files, and other government records that remain largely unavailable online.

Three leading archival organizations—the Society of American Archivists, the Council of State Archivists, and the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators—issued a joint statement warning that the closures lack transparency and could seriously harm researchers, veterans, students, tribal nations and the broader public. They note that while NARA has digitized a portion of its holdings, substantial portions of the collections can only be accessed in person, raising concerns over how access will be maintained after the facilities close.