GREENBELT, Maryland: A federal judge blocked the FBI headquarters move to Washington’s Ronald Reagan Building, ruling that the Trump administration unlawfully abandoned an approved Maryland plan.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang barred the administration from relocating the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the Reagan Building. He also blocked renovations and the redirection of project funds.
The 47-page ruling said the FBI wrongly concluded that it could choose a new headquarters site without consulting Congress.
Greenbelt, Maryland, had been selected in 2023 during President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump appointees later sought to replace that plan with the Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.
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Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown welcomed the ruling. He said Congress had directed the federal government to choose among approved sites, while the administration selected another option.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore also backed the decision and called for work to resume on the planned Prince George’s County headquarters.
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The FBI criticised the ruling and said courts were interfering with efforts to reduce government costs. It said the bureau would continue assessing its law-enforcement needs.
