Washington DC - A federal judge recently blocked President Donald Trump's efforts to move the FBI headquarters to Washington DC instead of to Maryland as previously planned.
On Monday, District Judge Theodore Chuang issued a memorandum opinion arguing the Trump administration illegally scrapped previously approved relocation plans.
In a separate order, Chuang blocked the administration from moving or renovating their planned site and repurposing any funds related to the project.
According to AP News, the ruling is part of a yearslong battle to find a new headquarters for the agency.
In November 2023, former President Joe Biden secured a site in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the headquarters, but after Trump took back power in 2024, he tried to reverse the plans, opting instead for it to be moved to the Ronald Reagan Building in DC.
The state of Maryland and Prince George's County later sued the Trump administration over their efforts.
In response to Monday's ruling, the FBI, in a statement, accused the court of undermining the administration's "goal to make government more cost-effective for American taxpayers," claiming it chose to "impermissibly intervene for political reasons."
Attorney General Anthony Brown praised the ruling, noting the state had "committed more than a decade of work" to secure the site, and the judge's order has "cleared the path back to Greenbelt."