Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Greenbelt FBI Headquarters
**FILE** Many Maryland Democratic leaders, including Attorney General Anthony Brown (at podium), are celebrating after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can’t cancel existing plans to relocate the FBI’s headquarters to Greenbelt. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer) A federal judge ruled that the Trump…
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can’t cancel existing plans to relocate the FBI’s new headquarters to Greenbelt, the latest development in a conflict over the future of America’s largest investigative agency.
District Court Judge Theodore Chuang ruled that the potential move violated the Administrative Procedure Act and would cause “irreparable injury” to Maryland and Prince George’s County.
Maryland Democratic members of the U.S. House and Senate, including Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, said the road to getting Greenbelt selected for the new FBI headquarters was not easy.
“For years, Team Maryland has fought to bring the men and women of the FBI a headquarters that meets their mission and their needs,” the Maryland federal leaders wrote in a joint statement. “After a years-long, competitive, and transparent process, Greenbelt, Maryland, was selected as the site for that new headquarters, based on its merits – including its ability to provide a secure space for the Bureau while ensuring the cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars.”
The Maryland Democratic congressional leaders also celebrated Chuang’s decision, calling it a “step forward for the rule of law.”
“The Trump administration had no grounds to ignore this selection, or redirect even one penny that Congress specifically appropriated for construction of the competitively selected site,” they wrote. “We’re glad to see the Court acknowledge this fact, ruling that the Trump administration’s actions are unlawful and void.”
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown (D), who has sued the Trump administration on behalf of the state several times, also praised the ruling.
“This victory is about more than a building. It is about ensuring that when Congress makes a decision, the federal government cannot simply ignore it because they do not like the outcome,” said Brown, who served in the House of Representatives from 2007-2015. “Congress made a promise. The Trump administration tried to break it. Now, the jobs, investment, and opportunity Marylanders deserve are within reach.”
