The saga of Trump-era border wall materials that were sold off under the Biden administration is taking another twist – and this time, they might be heading back to the federal government.
The global government-surplus auction house GovPlanet told Fox News Digital on Friday that it’s now working with the Trump administration to return some of the unused components.
This all traces back to January 2021, when President Joe Biden signed an executive order halting construction of the border wall. At the time, Biden called the project “not a serious policy solution” to securing the southern border, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to the auctioning of unconstructed wall materials. The unused parts – worth an estimated $260 million to $350 million — sat in storage, some in the New Mexico desert, costing taxpayers money every single day.
By December 2023, the situation had sparked a heated legal fight in Texas. A court temporarily froze the auctions for 30 days, but little was revealed about the fate of the materials afterward. On Friday, GovPlanet broke its silence, announcing a “breakthrough” agreement with the Trump team. According to the company – a subsidiary of Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers-RB Global – the deal involves returning surplus border wall components, originally sourced by the federal government, at cost. A third-party construction firm contracted for the wall will take receipt of the materials over the next 90 days.
GovPlanet said it was “pleased to work with the administration” to ensure taxpayer investments weren’t wasted. The company stressed that the transfer is being expedited to support border protection plans, emphasizing their long-standing partnership with federal agencies. A White House official aligned with Trump’s team also welcomed the cooperation, thanking all parties interested in “keeping America’s borders safe and secure.”
The backstory to these auctions has been politically charged from the start. After Biden’s freeze on construction, Republican Senators Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Joni Ernst of Iowa slammed the administration for wasting taxpayer dollars by paying the Pentagon to guard unused materials. Fischer claimed in 2023 that the daily storage and security cost was around $130,000 for panels sitting in New Mexico and Arizona.
A provision in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) required the Pentagon to come up with a plan to either transfer or sell the components. Around 60% of the materials ended up with southwestern states such as Texas and California, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick confirmed that his state purchased about $12 million worth of materials from the auctions.
But many parts still went under the hammer. GovPlanet listed tens of thousands of bollards, steel panels, and structural tubing. In one August 2023 example, 729 hollow beams fetched $154,200. Screenshots from ABC-15 Phoenix even showed massive 33-foot-by-8-foot steel wall panels selling for $1 each in bundles of five. Senator Ernst blasted the administration for offloading taxpayer-funded materials “for pennies on the dollar.”
By that time, Newsweek reported that just $498,000 had been paid for the materials in total. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed that the sales followed federal acquisition rules, but critics argued it was a massive loss on public investment.
Now, with this new deal, many of those materials could be pulled back from the resale market and handed over to the feds – potentially ending a three-year political and logistical tug-of-war over what to do with Trump’s leftover border wall.
Leo Cruz brings sharp insights into the world of politics, offering balanced reporting and analysis on the latest policies, elections, and global political events. With years of experience covering campaigns and interviewing world leaders, Leo ensures readers are always informed and engaged.
