A federal judge in Maryland has blocked the Trump administration attempt to relocate the FBI headquarters from a planned new facility in suburban Maryland to the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown Washington. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled Monday that President Donald Trump administration illegally tossed out a previously approved plan to construct a new FBI campus in Greenbelt, Maryland, after Congress had already appropriated funds for the project. The court permanently blocked the administration from taking actions to advance the relocation to the Reagan Building and from disbursing funds in support of the proposed move. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the state of Maryland and Prince George’s County in November 2025.
A 15-Year Selection Process Overturned
The General Services Administration completed a years-long site selection process in 2023 and chose Greenbelt as the location that best met the FBI security, operational space, and mission needs. The site beat out competing proposals after more than a decade of evaluation. In July 2025, however, the FBI and the GSA abruptly announced they would instead move the bureau to the Ronald Reagan Building complex, one block east of the current J. Edgar Hoover Building. The administration argued the move would save taxpayers money and avoid lengthy construction timelines.
Congressional Funds at Stake
Maryland officials argued the administration actions flouted explicit congressional direction. Congress had appropriated more than $555 million specifically for the Greenbelt project, and the lawsuit alleged the administration illegally diverted those funds toward the Reagan Building renovation.
President Trump tried to take from Maryland what Maryland had already won. He failed. – Maryland Governor Wes Moore
FBI Director Kash Patel had praised the Reagan Building plan as a cost-effective and resource-efficient way for the bureau to carry out its mission. The Reagan complex currently houses U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency, among other tenants. U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat, had objected during Senate committee proceedings that the Reagan Building does not meet the enhanced security requirements put in place after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Her colleague, Senator Chris Van Hollen, emphasized that the federal government went through a rigorous, transparent process to select Greenbelt. The ruling represents a significant setback for the administration plans to reshape the FBI physical footprint in the nation capital. Maryland officials said the decision clears the path for the Greenbelt headquarters project to resume.
Sources: CBS News; CNN; The Baltimore Banner; Associated Press
discussion