Patel outlines plan to move FBI personnel out of Washington, expand Huntsville and CJIS footprints

Director Kesh Patel told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that the FBI is moving more than 1,000 positions out of the Washington, D.C., National Capital Region and into field offices across every state to bolster violent‑crime and narcotics work in local jurisdictions.

"We are moving more than a thousand positions outside of the Washington DC area," Director Kesh Patel said, adding that roughly "11,000 ish" of the FBI's roughly 37,000 positions remain in the National Capital Region and that a redeployment of personnel is intended to put agents and analysts closer to where violent crime and drug trafficking occur.

Patel described a planned expansion at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., which the bureau and appropriators have used for training and specialized operations. He said the FBI is moving about 500 employees to Huntsville this year and that, to finish additional planned buildings and training facilities, the FBI would need roughly $145–$160 million for construction and an additional amount for operations and maintenance. "Once those buildings are built in the next 3 years, we will move another 1,300 employees down to Huntsville," he said.

The director also spoke about the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) center in Clarksburg, W.Va., saying the site hosts core information infrastructure that supports FBI operations and that the bureau would like to expand capacity there. He told lawmakers the site has land available but needs funding for new construction and systems modernization.

Members pressed for lists of which specific positions would move and which programs might be affected; Patel said bureau career officials identified violent‑crime hotspots and apportioned redeployments across states and resident agencies. He said 904 positions were currently listed as vacant and slated for transfer and that every state would receive additional personnel under the plan.

Patel and lawmakers discussed facilities availability and timing: the Huntsville North Campus is largely constructed and occupied; additional South Campus buildings require funding before further moves. The director asked appropriators to consider both construction and O&M costs in their decisions.

There were no formal approvals or budgetary votes during the hearing. Committee members said they would continue to review the FBI's written documentation and staffing plans as appropriations markups proceed.