Full Breakdown
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Plan to Relocate FBI Headquarters
8/18/2026, 3:50:14 AM
Background: Prior Site Selection and Legislative Requirements
In 2023 the General Services Administration, following two congressional statutes passed in 2022 and 2023, selected Greenbelt, Maryland, as one of three approved suburban sites for a new FBI headquarters. The plan was endorsed during President Joe Biden’s administration and earmarked for a campus near the Greenbelt Metro station. In July 2025 the Trump administration announced it would abandon the Greenbelt project and move the bureau to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., arguing the shift would save billions of dollars.
Official Statements & Responses
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. The Department of Justice and FBI declined to comment when contacted.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang, an appointee of President Barack Obama, found the administration’s action “not in accordance with law,” noting that Congress had not authorized the Reagan Building selection or the reallocation of funds.
Funding and Project Scope
Congress had approved $555 million for the Greenbelt site, which the judge ruled could not be diverted to the Reagan Building. Separate reporting described the Maryland campus as a “sprawling” development that would involve roughly $1 billion in construction and related investment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Notably, the text provides no conditions under which the selection could be unilaterally rescinded or switched to a nonconforming site,” — Theodore D. Chuang, district judge
- “This case is about more than a building,” — Anthony G. Brown, maryland attorney