The Biden administration has been dismantling and disposing of portions of the Mexican-American border wall constructed under the presidency of Donald Trump, according to a new report by the Daily Caller.
The report stated that “thick wall tubes” and other wall materials have been sold on the auction site GovPlanet since last April, as is evident from listings on the site. The Pentagon confirmed these reports, admitting that they had indeed been selling “wall materials.”
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is disposing of the excess border wall materials in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation,” Pentagon spokeswoman Raini Brunson said in a statement to the Daily Caller. The profits from these auctions are directed to the Pentagon, according to the New York Post.
A directive was reportedly given to GovPlanet by the Department of Defense, instructing them to refrain from referencing Trump when promoting the wall materials. This was initially reported by the Daily Upside.
“We are legally not allowed to mention these are the border wall materials, or we could lose our jobs,” a GovPlanet source revealed. “But that’s what they are — 110 percent.”
“USACE has already transferred approximately $154 million worth of the roughly $260 million of bollard panels and other materials in accordance with standard excess property disposition procedures. USACE stands ready to implement a decision regarding disposition of the remaining materials,” Brunson said in further comments.
Yuma County Supervisor Jonathan Lines expressed his frustration regarding the Biden administration’s decision, especially since he has been anticipating the administration to address significant gaps in Arizona’s border wall. The Department of Homeland Security had previously announced plans to seal the gaps at Yuma’s Morelos Dam, a major entry point for illegal immigrants.
“The wall closing off the gaps at the dam is still under construction,” Lines told the Daily Caller. He further criticized the administration’s approach, stating, “Everything to complete the wall was already in place on the ground and purchased and now they have gone out and redesigned the enclosures for the gaps. This is an example of government waste at its finest.”
“They have been using a different product, but our panels in Yuma that are complete are still there,” Lines added.
Meanwhile, as the wall’s apparent dismantlement continues, so too does a recent surge in illegal immigration to the United States. There was an increase of approximately 33% in illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border between June and July, with Border Patrol encounters rising from about 99,000 to over 132,000.
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