A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s plan to move the FBI headquarters to a federal office building in Washington.
The ruling is the latest step in a long fight over the future home of the nation’s main law enforcement agency.
The Trump administration had planned to move the FBI into the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown Washington. That plan would have replaced an earlier decision to build a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland.
US District Judge Theodore Chuang ruled that the administration did not follow the law when it changed the plan.
The decision stops the administration from moving the FBI into the Reagan Building. It also blocks work to prepare the building for the bureau and prevents the use of funds for that plan.
The case began after the administration changed the site chosen during President Joe Biden’s term.
The General Services Administration selected Greenbelt in 2023 after a long search. The process had taken years and involved several possible sites in Maryland and Virginia.
The Greenbelt plan was backed by Maryland officials and Prince George’s County. They argued that the state had spent years working to bring the FBI headquarters there.
They also said large public funds had already been set aside for the project.
Maryland later sued the federal government after the Trump administration chose the Reagan Building instead.
The state argued that the change was unlawful. Judge Chuang agreed.
His ruling said the decision to cancel the Greenbelt plan and shift the money to the Washington project was not in line with federal law.
The decision is a setback for Trump officials.
The FBI has defended the Washington plan. Officials said the Reagan Building could offer a more cost effective way to house the bureau.
The FBI also argued that a move to downtown Washington would keep its headquarters close to other federal agencies and law enforcement partners.
The current FBI headquarters is the J Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The building has served as the FBI’s main home since 1975. It has faced years of problems linked to age and poor condition.
Parts of the building have required safety measures to protect people from falling material. Officials have said that a new headquarters is needed.
That need has made the location fight more important.
The Greenbelt plan was meant to provide a large new campus outside central Washington. The site was selected after a long competition.
Virginia had also sought the headquarters. Maryland eventually won the selection process.
The Trump administration later rejected that choice.
The new court ruling does not end the wider debate over the FBI’s future home. It does, however, remove the Reagan Building option for now.
The administration could appeal the decision. Congress could also play a role in the next stage of the dispute.
For Maryland, the ruling is a major win.
State officials have said the Greenbelt project could bring jobs and investment to the area. Prince George’s County has also spent years working on the plan.
The decision gives those officials a path to continue with the earlier project.
For the FBI, the question is still urgent.
The bureau needs a modern headquarters. Its current building is old and has serious repair needs. But finding the right location has proved difficult.
The dispute also shows how federal property decisions can become political battles.
The FBI is one of the most powerful agencies in the US government. Its headquarters is more than an office. It is a major symbol of federal law enforcement.
Where that building stands can also affect local jobs, investment and development.
The court’s decision now puts the Greenbelt plan back at the center of the debate.
The Trump administration wanted to keep the FBI in Washington. Maryland wanted the project to continue in Greenbelt.
For now, the court has sided with Maryland.
The final outcome may still depend on an appeal or action by Congress. But the latest ruling makes one point clear.
The Trump administration cannot simply abandon the earlier FBI headquarters plan without following the law.
