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FIRST ON FOX: According to a global government-surplus auction house, unused components of President Donald Trump’s border wall that were listed under the Biden administration will be returned to the federal government in coordination with the Trump administration.
President Joe Biden’s executive order in January 2021 set the stage for the sale of unconstructed border wall components and implements.
“Like every nation, the United States has a right and a duty to secure its borders and protect its people against threats. But building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution,” Biden stated in his executive order halting construction.
The fate of the unused border wall materials, initially valued between $260 million and $350 million, remained uncertain until Friday. A legal battle in Texas in December led to a temporary halt in the auctions, but there have been few updates since then.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, GovPlanet announced a breakthrough deal with the Trump administration to return surplus border wall materials to the federal government.
“GovPlanet has reached an agreement with the Office of the Border Czar to return surplus border wall materials sourced by the federal government to GovPlanet via existing contracts,” the company stated.
“A third-party firm contracted for border wall construction will take possession of the materials within the next 90 days,” GovPlanet added.
GovPlanet officials expressed their satisfaction in working with the administration to return the materials to the federal government “at-cost” and protect the taxpayers’ investment in the initiative.
“We are expediting the transfer of these materials to support the administration’s border protection plans. We value our partnership with the U.S. government and look forward to continuing to support America’s federal agencies,” GovPlanet stated.
In response to the auction house’s claim, a White House official expressed gratitude for third parties interested in helping secure America’s borders.
After Biden’s executive order, Senators Deb Fischer and Joni Ernst raised concerns about taxpayer money being used to guard the materials stored in the New Mexico desert.
According to a release from Fischer, the storage and security of the panels in New Mexico and Arizona cost $130,000 per day.
A provision in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act required the Pentagon to submit a plan for the transfer or sale of the materials.
About 60% of the border wall components were transferred to states like Texas and California, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick mentioned that Texas purchased around $12 million from an auction.
Thousands of bollards, panels, and components were later put up for auction by GovPlanet.
Dozens of material lots were listed for auction, with items such as “hollow beams” fetching $154,200 for 729 units.
ABC-15 Phoenix’s website displayed steel wall panels being sold for $1 each in sets of five.
Ernst criticized the administration for selling materials purchased with taxpayer funds for significantly less than their value.
According to Newsweek, a total of $498,000 was paid for the materials, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers overseeing the sales.
However, the sales appeared to stall after a 30-day moratorium ended in January, until GovPlanet revealed the new agreement with the Trump administration.
Reports indicated that GovPlanet/RBGlobal legally possessed the border wall components that were up for auction.
Art del Cueto, a Border Patrol union official, mentioned that the stock cited in reports could still be utilized for border security purposes.
Fox News Digital reached out to various officials for comments on the latest developments.
