WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel has ordered about 1,500 employees from the headquarters in Washington to be moved to field offices nationwide, including 500 to Huntsville.

The announcement was made to employees at a meeting this morning.

Related story: Britt, Tuberville urge Patel to fill slots at FBI’s campus on Redstone Arsenal

“I applaud FBI Director Patel’s commitment to Making America Safe Again and his rightful recognition that FBI Redstone is the best place to carry out that mission,” U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) posted on X.

I applaud FBI Director Patel’s commitment to Making America Safe Again and his rightful recognition that FBI Redstone is the best place to carry out that mission. North Alabama has proven time and again that we are willing and able to answer the call, with a second-to-none…

— Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) February 22, 2025

“We look forward to welcoming more FBI teammates to Huntsville,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “Each of them honors us by their service to the nation.”

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt said he was glad to see Patel keeping his promise about moving jobs to Huntsville.

“It’s great to see that new FBI Director Patel is already making good on his promise to move more FBI jobs to North Alabama,” Aderholt (R-Haleyville) posted on X. “I hope to see more moves like this with other agencies.”

At Patel’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, Sen. Katie Britt extended him an invitation to visit the state-of-the-art FBI facilities on Redstone Arsenal and secured a commitment from Patel to fill 1,000 open jobs.

“Senator, you have that commitment,” he said. The FBI has about 4,000 agents and employees in Huntsville.