SAVE OUR NATIONAL ARCHIVES ALERT! ACTION ITEM: Invitation to Mon 8/24 Press Conference at NARA-SF
Please SHARE widely (apologies for duplicate posts)
Dear Friends,
Thank you for being one of over 8,000 people who have already signed the petition to stop the closure of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional centers in San Francisco (located in nearby San Bruno) and Chicago. Save Our National Archives (SONA) has been working to build community support and lobby the National Archives and our Congressional Representatives to stop this closure.
As you know, NARA contains hundreds of thousands of files related to our family's immigration, military and citizenship history, documenting our experiences under Chinese Exclusion, Japanese American incarceration, Filipino American repatriation, Native indigenous and Hawaiian sovereignty, as WWI & WWII service members, War Brides and Congressional Gold Medal recipients, all histories significant to the Western Region and Pacific Island regions.
ALERT! ACTION ITEM: Invitation to Mon 8/24 Press Conference at NARA-SF
Congressman Kevin Mullin (CA-17, home to the National Archives at San Francisco) and his colleagues will be holding a press conference NEXT Monday, August 24 at 10 AM, outside the archives facility, located in the Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Building (1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, about a 15-minute walk from the San Bruno BART station). He will announce actions to stop the closure of NARA-SF. (See Press Release below.)
SONA will be there, and we are asking as many supporters as possible to attend the press conference and for organizations to bring their banners to show their support. With our presence, we will call for decisive action to keep NARA-SF and NARA-Chicago open, and for historical records to remain available to the public!
More than 200 of you have also sent us copies of your direct letters to the Acting Archivist of the United States and your Congressional representatives. Please continue to encourage people to sign the online petition and offer a statement if you have not already done so. Let's show officials our large constituency by surpassing 10,000 if not doubling our signatures by Monday!
Please see our website for more info and organization and testimonial letters.
https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/
Thank you for your support, and please Share Widely!
Anna Eng & Grant Din
SONA Communications Co-Chairs
saveournationalarchives@gmail.com
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(The following is a copy of the press release text)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2026
Media RSVP:
Samantha Weigel (650) 477-9126 samantha.weigel@mail.house.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY – PRESS CONFERENCE
Lawmakers & Community Advocates Work to Save National Archives & Historic Records
SAN BRUNO, CA – The media is invited to join U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) for a press conference on Monday, Aug. 24 outside the National Archives at San Francisco (located in San Bruno) to announce efforts to stop the planned closure of this unique federal facility that houses over 750,000 records and historic documents. Media are asked to RSVP.
Rep. Mullin will share information about a bipartisan, bicameral group of 37 lawmakers working to defend the local facility, as well as a new federal bill introduced to stop the closure of any National Archives facility without Congressional approval.
The local facility in San Bruno houses culturally-significant archives from not only California but also Nevada, Hawaii, Pacific island territories, and Tribes. Its records hold deep value to the community including Angel Island immigration files, Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment records, Native American and indigenous history documents, and much more. Just a few of the notable records include the Wong Kim Ark files, on which the recent birthright citizenship Supreme Court Case hinged, and Alcatraz penitentiary files from cases like “Machine Gun Kelly” and Al Capone, and many more.
PRESS CONFERENCE SPEAKERS:
Congressman Kevin Mullin
Rosalyn Tonai, Save Our National Archives and Executive Director of National Japanese American Historical Society
Anna Eng, Save Our National Archives and Lecturer, UC Berkeley
Remarks read on behalf of Congresswoman Judy Chu (by Julie Soo, SONA)
Heather Hostler, Executive Director of California Indian Legal Services
Japanese American National Museum Curator Dr. Kristen Hayashi
Satsuki Ina, author and Professor Emerita CSU Sacramento
WHEN: 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, 2026
WHERE: 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066
VISUALS: Enlarged photos of historic archives/records, exterior of the building, and community members. PLEASE NOTE: the event will be held outside the archives, and the facility will not be open to the media or anyone without an appointment.
BACKGROUND & LEGISLATIVE ACTION:
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently announced it would be closing the San Francisco (San Bruno) and Chicago facilities, which are two of just 13 regional archives across America.
Rep. Mullin, along with Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), are leading a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of 37 lawmakers in calling upon NARA for more information and emphasizing the importance of maintaining these archives in the community. The letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Mark Amodei (NV-02), Ami Bera (CA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Ed Case (HI-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), , Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Susie Lee (NV-03), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Doris Matsui (CA-17), Grace Meng (NY-06), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-29), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Norma Torres (CA-35), Maxine Waters (CA-43); and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Jacklyn Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Read the full letter here.
Rep. Mullin has also introduced a new federal bill, the National Archives Protection Act, that would prevent NARA from closing any of their facilities including archives, records centers or research rooms, without Congressional approval. The bill is co-authored by Reps. Chu; Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), whose district includes the Seattle archives; and Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), whose district includes the Chicago archives. Read the bill text here.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
“These archives aren’t just boxes of paper — they hold the stories, memories, and history of generations of Americans. Families whose ancestors immigrated through Angel Island can track their lineage, those whose loved ones served in the Navy and were stationed in the Pacific can learn about their legacy, and Native Americans whose history is documented over generations are all able to learn more by visiting this national archive,” Rep. Mullin said. “We have a responsibility to protect this history and ensure these tangible records are carefully preserved and accessible to the people they represent. I am leading an effort to protect the federal facility in San Bruno and archives across America, and am deeply committed to working closely with the community, my Congressional colleagues, and state as well as regional leaders to ensure this irreplaceable history remains accessible for generations to come.”
“I strongly oppose the closing of the National Archives facilities in my district and around the country. The lack of transparency surrounding the closure of the Chicago facility threatens the irreplaceable collections stored there, staff expertise, and on-site, in-person research access. It would represent a loss for researchers, historians, dedicated employees and our community who visit the facility looking for census and naturalization records to prove citizenship status, examining genealogy records to identify their ancestors, or studying major historical events like the 1894 Pullman Strike and the Nuremberg War Crime Trials,” Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García said. “I’m proud to join Rep. Mullin and my colleagues in introducing legislation prohibiting NARA from unilaterally closing these important facilities without Congressional approval.”
“Closing the National Archives facilities at San Francisco and San Bruno and moving their irreplaceable documents across the country is an unacceptable barrier to public access,” Rep Judy Chu said. “These documents are unique pieces of history that have defined the AANHPI community in California and across the Pacific. For decades, these institutions have allowed descendants of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II and those impacted by the Chinese Exclusion Act to learn directly about their family members’ experiences. Closing these facilities will force families to travel great distances at significant costs to access their own American histories, and threaten the integrity of these precious records. We will not let history be pushed out of reach for the families who have lived it simply for logistical cost-savings. That is why I am proud to co-lead this bill and letter to preserve these facilities and ensure these records remain accessible to the communities whose history they hold.”
“It is critical that we preserve our National Archives facilities to protect important facets of this country’s history. The NARA Seattle facility is home to Tribal archives and is a resource for the entire Pacific Northwest. I proud to be co-leading this legislation with Reps. Mullin, Chu, and Garcia to protect these important federal record centers and require Congressional approval to move or close any location,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal said.
“The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) strongly urges the National Archives and Records Administration to reconsider the decision to close the federal records center in San Bruno, California. Being able to physically access these files in the community tangibly underscores the democracy that this country was founded upon, which is something that we cannot take for granted nor risk to lose. We encourage the National Archives to continue to preserve the documents that tell our nation’s past as well as make these invaluable records accessible to the American public. These are among the agency’s most important charges and we trust that they will continue to uphold them,” said JANM’s Curator of History and Director of Collections, Kristen Hayashi.
“The National Archives at San Bruno is more than just a building; it is a vital repository of our history. For generations, these files have provided the only evidence of family reunions, military service, and survival against discriminatory laws. Closing this facility effectively erases access to our collective past. We call on NARA to halt these plans and honor their commitment to serve the public by keeping these archives open,” said Grant Din and Anna Eng, Communications Co-Chairs with Save Our National Archives.
“These archives are more than boxes of paper. They contain the history of California Tribes, our governments, our lands, our families, and our relationship with the United States. They are critical to preserving our history and protecting our sovereignty. Relocating these records without Tribal consultation puts access to that history at risk and disregards the federal government's trust responsibility and its commitment to engage Tribal Nations as sovereign governments,” said Heather Hostler, Executive Director of California Indian Legal Services.