The FBI is set to transfer 1,500 employees from its Washington, D.C. headquarters to field offices across the country, with approximately one-third of them moving to Huntsville, Alabama, according to multiple reports on Friday.

Under the new restructuring plan, around 1,000 agents and staff will be reassigned to offices nationwide, while an additional 500 will be stationed at the FBI’s Huntsville campus. The decision was communicated to employees during a meeting on Friday.

FBI Director Kash Patel Announces Major Restructuring

The move comes just a day after Kash Patel was confirmed as the new FBI director with a narrow 51-49 Senate vote. Patel was officially sworn in on Friday and immediately outlined his plans to decentralize the bureau’s operations.

“This will include streamlining our operations at headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation,” Patel reportedly told FBI employees, according to The Washington Post.

When asked for comment, the FBI neither confirmed nor denied the relocation plans.

“Director Patel has made clear his promise to the American public that FBI agents will be in communities focused on combatting violent crime,” an FBI spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. “He has directed FBI leadership to implement a plan to put this promise into action.”

Patel’s Vision for the FBI: Decentralization and Law Enforcement Focus

Patel, a former House aide and Trump administration official, has previously expressed strong opinions about overhauling the FBI. In August 2024, he vowed to shut down the agency’s headquarters in Washington and transform it into a “Museum of the Deep State.”

During an appearance on Stinchfield Tonight, Patel outlined his plan to redeploy the agency’s workforce.

“I would send those 7,000 agents in the headquarters building downrange to chase down rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers—letting cops be cops on the streets across America,” Patel said. “You keep a small contingent in Washington, D.C. That’s step one.”

FBI Shakeup: Dozens of Officials Depart in First Month of Trump’s Second Term

Since the beginning of President Trump’s second term, at least 75 senior FBI officials and Department of Justice lawyers have either been fired, resigned, or removed from their positions, according to Reuters.

Patel reaffirmed his commitment to reforming the agency, stating:

“I promise you the following: there will be accountability within the FBI and outside of the FBI, and we will do it through rigorous constitutional oversight starting this weekend.”

As the FBI undergoes these structural changes, the shift of personnel to Huntsville signals a significant transformation in the agency’s operations, with an emphasis on field deployment over centralized bureaucracy.