Officials in Texas say they are preparing to buy and store border wall materials being auctioned off by the federal government and keep them in place until the Trump administration takes office in January.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick reacted to reports of continued auctions of border wall materials that have been left near the border after the sudden stop of border wall construction in 2021.
“I will bid on all of that wall, and we will buy it in Texas, and we will give it to Donald Trump,” Patrick said on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“I’ve got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it,” he said.
‘LEGAL AUTHORITY’: SENATE DEMS DEMAND BIDEN EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN
Then-former President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Oct. 15, 2024 in Atlanta. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
His comments were supported by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who said she is “fully prepared” to help in the effort.
“If you buy it, I have a place to store it — on state land! The [Texas General Land Office] is standing by to help!” she said, calling the auctioning off of border wall materials by the Biden administration “shameful.”
The Biden administration abruptly ended border wall construction in January 2021 after 450 miles had been built in the first Trump administration. While border hawks say a wall is a critical tool to stopping illegal immigration, some Democrats have said a wall project is xenophobic and ineffective.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING BIDEN ADMIN’S SALE OF BORDER WALL PARTS: ‘WASTE AND ABUSE’
This still image from a video shows construction of the border wall in Del Rio, Texas. (Office of Gov. Greg Abbott.)
The auctioning off of border wall parts began in 2023 with parts listed for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department’s logistics agency told media outlets that the excess material had been turned over for disposition by the Army Corps of Engineers and was now for sale.
Those auctions have continued, with officials in Arizona telling Fox News Digital that auctions have been occurring weekly for some time. The practice drew attention last week when The Daily Wire published video showing unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks in Arizona, even though the materials could be used in the next Trump administration.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to restart border wall construction when he enters office next month. He described the selling off of the wall as “almost a criminal act” on Monday and appealed to the administration to stop the selling of the wall parts.
A defense official told Fox News that the Pentagon has been disposing of excess wall construction in accordance with the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the Defense secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased with Pentagon funds. That plan was submitted in March.
The official said that border states, including Texas, were given preference for materials. Both Texas and California requested and received border materials, they said.
“Through our reutilization, transfer, and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GOVPLANET under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GOVPLANET online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DoD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
Texas has already shown it is keen to aid the incoming administration in its efforts to secure the border and engage in a mass deportation campaign.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital first reported last month that Texas has offered 1,400 acres of land to the incoming administration with which to stage its mass deportation operation. Border czar Thomas Homan said he is already planning on how to use the land effectively.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.