A judge blocked a proposal Monday to relocate FBI headquarters to offices in Washington, D.C., instead of a previous plan to move the agency to a new building in Maryland.

In 2023, President Joe Biden's administration had chosen a site in Greenbelt, Maryland, as the new home for the FBI, moving it from its current headquarters in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., where it has been housed for around a half century, The Assoicated Press reports. But last year, it was decided to keep the agency in D.C., repurposing space in the nearby Ronald Reagan Building.

Following the change of course, the state of Maryland and Prince George’s County filed a lawsuit to keep the FBI's new location in Greenbelt. Monday's court ruling was praised by the state officials, including Gov. Wes Moore.

"Now it is time to stop the games and get to work building the world-class FBI headquarters that our public servants deserve, where it belongs: in Prince George’s County, Maryland,” he said in a statement.

According to U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang's decision, moving the FBI to the Ronald Reagan Building instead of the Greenbelt facility would not be "in accordance with law." His decision stops not only the move but also using money to refurbish the building for the FBI.

"The court has chosen to impermissibly intervene for political reasons," the FBI said in a statement. "This FBI is mission focused and will continue the best course of action to meet the needs of law enforcement."

The state of the J. Edgar Hoover Building has been the impetus for moving the FBI's headquarters. In recent years, there have been concerns over falling debris, and nets have been deployed around the building to protect pedestrians.