Federal judge supports FBI's planned move

Alternet - A federal judge dealt a crushing blow to Donald Trump on Monday, permanently blocking his administration's "unlawful" attempt to hijack over $1 billion and cancel the FBI’s planned move to Maryland.

The ruling is a major victory for Maryland and Prince George’s County officials. They fought the administration’s July 2025 plot to scrap a decade-old plan to build a massive new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland. Trump had instead tried to squeeze the law enforcement agency into a smaller footprint at the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown D.C.

In a scathing opinion, the federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s relocation plan and blocked the FBI from redirecting the half-billion dollars in funds. The judge ruled that Trump did not have the authority to unilaterally alter the plan, stating he legally needed congressional approval to shift the money away.

"Maryland and Prince George’s County committed more than a decade of work to earn the FBI headquarters and pledged hundreds of millions of dollars," Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement celebrating the decision. "By blocking the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to move the FBI to the Reagan Building and divert the funds Congress set aside for this project, the Court has cleared the path back to Greenbelt."

Debate over the aging J. Edgar Hoover Building has continued since 2011. The Greenbelt site was selected because it met strict Senate requirements, including proximity to a Metro station.