Judge blocks Trump administration from moving FBI headquarters to DC office building

Aug 17, 2026

On August 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang blocked the Trump administration's plan to relocate the FBI headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. The judge ruled that the administration unlawfully scrapped a 2023 decision to build a new facility in Greenbelt, Maryland, violating congressional mandates and illegally attempting to divert $555 million in funds. Maryland officials celebrated the ruling as a path back to Greenbelt, while the FBI criticized the court's decision as political intervention.

Judge blocks FBI headquarters relocation

▪Judge Theodore D. Chuang blocked the Trump administration from moving the FBI to the Ronald Reagan Building, renovating the building for the FBI, or repurposing $555 million in congressional funds.
▪Judge Theodore D. Chuang ruled that the Trump administration's attempt to keep the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. was not in accordance with law and improperly usurped the General Services Administration's authority.
▪The lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's FBI relocation plan was brought by the state of Maryland and Prince George's County.
▪On August 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang blocked the Trump administration's plans to relocate the FBI headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.

Congressional site selection requirements

▪The congressional site selection process required the General Services Administration to choose from three suburban locations: Greenbelt, Maryland; Landover, Maryland; or Springfield, Virginia.
▪Judge Theodore D. Chuang ruled that selecting the Ronald Reagan Building violated 2022 and 2023 congressional measures requiring the General Services Administration to choose from three short-listed sites outside Washington, D.C.
▪The congressional measures governing the FBI headquarters site selection provided no conditions under which the General Services Administration's selection could be unilaterally rescinded or switched to a nonconforming site.

Trump administration cost arguments

▪The FBI criticized Judge Theodore D. Chuang's ruling, stating that the court chose to impermissibly intervene for political reasons and undermine efforts to make government more cost-effective.
▪The Trump administration and FBI Director Kash Patel argued that relocating the FBI to the Ronald Reagan Building was a cost-effective move that would save billions of dollars.

Maryland officials celebrate ruling

▪Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown stated that the court's ruling cleared the path for the FBI headquarters project to return to Greenbelt, Maryland.
▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore called for an end to political games and urged immediate work to build the FBI headquarters in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Greenbelt versus Reagan Building dispute

▪The Ronald Reagan Building currently counts U.S. Customs and Border Protection among its tenants.
▪The Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. previously housed the U.S. Agency for International Development before the Trump administration dismantled the agency in 2025.
▪The General Services Administration selected Greenbelt, Maryland in 2023 during the Biden administration, but the Trump administration scrapped those plans in July 2025 in favor of the Ronald Reagan Building.

FBI headquarters project timeline

▪The FBI's current headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, was dedicated in 1975 and has fallen into disrepair, requiring protective nets to catch falling debris.
▪The federal government has worked for nearly 15 years to develop plans to relocate the FBI from its current location in the J. Edgar Hoover Building.