FBI Leaving DC Headquarters, 1,500 Agents to Be Relocated, Director Kash Patel Announces
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that the agency will vacate its long-standing headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, DC, citing safety concerns and the need for a modern work environment.
In an interview with Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo, scheduled to air on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Patel stated that the current headquarters is no longer suitable for the bureau’s workforce.
Patel described the Hoover Building as “unsafe” and not reflective of the FBI’s status as a premier law enforcement agency.
He emphasized the importance of providing agents and staff with a better working environment.
While Patel did not provide specific details about the structural hazards, the building is visibly deteriorating.
Nets are installed around its exterior to prevent falling debris, such as concrete chunks, from endangering pedestrians, the New York Post reported.
The FBI director did not disclose a timeline for the move nor the location of a future permanent headquarters.
He confirmed, however, that 1,500 employees will be relocated to various offices across the United States.
The J. Edgar Hoover Building, a brutalist structure completed in 1975, sits on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol. It has long been considered an architectural eyesore and a redevelopment target.
President Donald Trump had expressed interest in the property before entering politics. In 2013, he proposed trading private development for the construction of a new FBI facility.
During his presidency in 2018, Trump reiterated his distaste for the Hoover Building, calling it one of the ugliest structures in the city. He supported the idea of building a new FBI headquarters in the same location.
In March 2025, Trump suggested his administration would replace the existing structure with a new FBI facility, citing the need for the FBI and DOJ to remain close together geographically.
Plans during the Biden administration to move the FBI to Greenbelt, Maryland, were blocked by Trump. The selection of Greenbelt had come under scrutiny after an inspector general’s report criticized the process.
A selection panel initially recommended Springfield, Virginia, but a General Services Administration official overruled the decision in favor of Greenbelt. The official previously worked for WMATA, which owned the Greenbelt property.
Patel pointed out the imbalance in the FBI’s staffing, noting that while the bureau’s total workforce is about 38,000, more than 11,000 are stationed within 50 miles of Washington, DC. He stated that this concentration does not reflect the geographic distribution of crime.
To address this, Patel said 1,500 employees will be moved out of the capital region. He added that every state would receive an increase in FBI personnel.
He said the reallocation of agents aims to bring law enforcement resources closer to where crimes are occurring and to motivate Americans to join the FBI as agents and analysts.
Patel concluded that the transition would begin in the coming months, with key actions expected within three to nine months.
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