Maryland Stands Firm On FBI HQ: “We Are Not Giving Up”

By Raoul Dennis

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, flanked by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, and Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, announced Nov. 6 that Maryland would not relinquish its successful bid for the FBI headquarters positioning in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We are not giving it up,” Braveboy said. “We are fighting for the future, and we are fighting for the rule of law.” See video above.

A Long-Running Competition

The effort to relocate the FBI from its aging J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington, D.C., began in the early 2010s, when the federal government determined that the Bureau needed a modern, secure, and sustainable campus capable of supporting its 11,000-person workforce. The General Services Administration (GSA) and FBI launched a competitive process to select among three potential sites: two in Prince George’s County—Greenbelt and Landover—and one in Springfield, Virginia.

Each location was judged according to a rigorous set of requirements: proximity to public transportation (especially Metrorail), access to highways, sufficient acreage for a secure campus, environmental sustainability, cost efficiency, and the ability to support the FBI’s critical security needs for decades to come. Greenbelt, located adjacent to the Greenbelt Metro Station and with direct access to the Capital Beltway, quickly emerged as a top contender.

After years of environmental impact studies, transportation modeling, and infrastructure planning, the GSA concluded that Greenbelt offered the strongest mix of accessibility, cost effectiveness, and development potential. In 2023, the federal government officially announced that Greenbelt would become the home of the new FBI headquarters—an estimated $4 billion project poised to reshape Maryland’s economic and security landscape.

**Maryland leaders announce lawsuit:** (l-r) U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (at podium), Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey and Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (far right).

FBI HQ Location: A Serious Matter of Security and Safety

The gravity of the location of the FBI headquarters hit home with remarks from Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson. He was in sixth grade when he came home from school, and his father, who’d come home unusually early, told him that the Murrah Building in Oklahoma had been bombed and that “Ryan's dad Alan is missing.”

Ryan’s dad was a Secret Service agent who happened to be at the building when it was bombed. U.S. terrorist Timothy McVeigh, who had military training, was able to drive an explosive-laden rental truck directly into the building.

“McVeigh packed the van with explosives and killed hundreds, including children, in a federal building in Oklahoma City,” Ferguson said. “This is not a joke. This is serious business. We have learned in this country to prevent exactly what happened in Oklahoma City. So, when the congressman talks about safety and security, it's not hypothetical,” he says of the campus requirement that would keep the central, working FBI headquarters hundreds of yards away from day-to-day traffic, better insulated from potential attack.

“It's not a political game. They put their lives on the line and deserve to be protected. The reason Greenbelt was selected is that the men and women who work at the FBI deserve a site that will protect them from the evils that are out there.”

A Reversal Sparks Outrage

But the celebration was short-lived. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration abruptly announced it would abandon the Greenbelt plan and instead move the FBI to the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown Washington, D.C.—a decision Maryland leaders say is both illegal and illogical.

Governor Wes Moore did not mince words. “The president’s plan is not just illegal,” Moore said. “Frankly, it just lacks common sense. His foolishness will put FBI employees and officers in jeopardy. The big problem with the current FBI building is that it lacks the modern security provisions and protections that the Bureau needs in 2025. The building is too old, too small, and too exposed. So what does the president do? He decides to move it to another building that is too old, too small, and too exposed. This is ridiculous.”

Moore underscored that Maryland’s proposal had been thoroughly vetted and lawfully selected. “Greenbelt is the best home for the FBI—for their mission, for their agents, and for their future,” he declared. “It’s the result of close analysis and a fair process. So if Donald Trump thinks that we’re going to roll over when he tries to make life worse for our law enforcement, he better think twice.”

“We Followed Every Rule”

Attorney General Anthony Brown, who is leading the state’s legal challenge, framed the issue squarely as one of law and fairness. “We are filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to sabotage a new FBI headquarters project in Maryland,” Brown said. “For more than a decade, Maryland worked alongside federal partners through a careful, transparent process to bring a new FBI headquarters building to Prince George’s County.”

Brown detailed a timeline of compliance and commitment: “Between 2016 and 2024, Congress has appropriated over $1.1 billion specifically for this project,” he noted. “Prince George’s County placed over $100 million of its own funding. We did this because we expected that our communities would benefit from high-paying jobs and transformative economic development opportunities.”

He added that the Trump Administration’s decision to ignore the approved selection process violates the very structure of federal lawmaking. “When Congress passes a law and appropriates money for a specific purpose, the executive branch doesn’t just ignore it because they don’t like the outcome,” Brown said. “That’s exactly what happened here.”

An “Arbitrary and Capricious” Decision

The Maryland lawsuit, filed jointly by the state and Prince George’s County, argues that the administration’s abrupt pivot to the Reagan Building violates multiple provisions of federal law, including Congressional appropriations and consultation requirements. Braveboy outlined the legal core of the complaint: “It’s illegal because Congress directed through the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2022 and 2023 that the headquarters should be located at one of three locations—Greenbelt and Landover, both in Prince George’s County, or Springfield, Virginia,” she said. “After the selection of the Greenbelt site was made in 2023, the administration illegally decided to pick a location that had never even been contemplated by Congress. That decision was arbitrary and capricious.”

Brown added that the federal agencies failed to meet their obligations under law. “They provided no explanation for discarding years of planning, no consultations with Maryland as required by federal law,” he said. “They simply announced they had decided to renovate the building. Congress never even considered housing the FBI there.”

The lawsuit seeks to “stop the unlawful selection of the Reagan Building, prevent the diversion of congressionally appropriated funds, and ensure the federal government follows the law,” Brown said. “In Maryland, we played by the rules, we won the project fairly, and we will not let this administration steal jobs and opportunities from Prince George’s County.”

Billions on the Line

At stake is far more than a headquarters address. The Greenbelt project represents the largest single economic development investment in Prince George’s County history. “We won the Greenbelt FBI headquarters site, and I will concede nothing,” Braveboy said. “This site will be the largest single economic development project in the history of Prince George’s County. It will create over 7,500 jobs and add roughly $4 billion in economic benefits to the state and county.”

She added that the project’s impact would ripple far beyond government offices. “This project is so important that it will positively affect the gross domestic product of Prince George’s County,” Braveboy explained. “That’s how significant this project is. It doesn’t get any bigger than this. And we’re not going to give something up that’s this important without a fight—especially when we won this fair and square.”

Moore echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the broader principle at stake. “Maryland is going to fight this thing with everything that we have,” he said. “Because in Maryland, we do not bend—we stand up to the nonsense.”

Lessons from History and Law

The legal and political drama surrounding the FBI headquarters has revived memories of Maryland’s earlier efforts to secure major federal institutions. Braveboy invoked historical parallels: “Other jurisdictions in this region have been able to benefit from the location of major agencies like NIH in Montgomery County,” she said. “When the Pentagon came to Northern Virginia, it ignited the growth of the defense contracting industry. Here in Prince George’s County, we have an opportunity to be the leader in cybersecurity—not just for this nation, but for the world—and we’re not conceding.”

Brown pointed to the precedent Congress itself set through explicit language in federal appropriations. “Congress directed GSA to select among three specific locations,” he said. “The Trump Administration chose a fourth. That’s unlawful. That’s why we’re in court.”

Legal experts note that if Maryland prevails, the ruling could reinforce Congressional power over executive branch spending decisions—an outcome that could resonate well beyond this case.

A United Front for Maryland

Throughout the press conference, the show of solidarity among state and federal leaders underscored the stakes. Braveboy, Moore, Brown, and Maryland’s congressional delegation projected unity in defense of the state’s victory. “This came out strong because we are all in this together,” Braveboy said, thanking her administrative team and the mayors, legislators, and civic leaders who have worked on the project. “The entire state of Maryland is united in keeping the FBI in Prince George’s County at its Greenbelt site, and I’m grateful to be here today.”

Moore tied that unity to Maryland’s longstanding tradition of public service. “One thing we know about this president,” he said of Trump, “is that he seemingly does not give a damn about public service. But that’s what this is all about—public service. And we will defend the people who serve.”

“We Stand for the Rule of Law”

As the legal process unfolds, the state’s leaders insist the fight is not just about bricks, mortar, or even jobs—but about upholding the rule of law. “What we’re really seeing is an administration that doesn’t like the decision Congress made, so they’re trying to undo it without going back to Congress,” Brown said. “That violates federal law. It harms Marylanders who were promised jobs and opportunities.”

Braveboy put it more bluntly: “We are fighting for the future, and we are fighting for the rule of law.”

As the case proceeds, Maryland’s message remains clear: the fight for Greenbelt is not just about geography—it’s about governance. And for now, Prince George’s County has no intention of backing down.