A major government-surplus auction company says it will return unused border wall materials to the federal government — reversing course after the Biden administration halted construction and moved to sell them off at rock-bottom prices.
GovPlanet, a subsidiary of Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers-RB Global, confirmed to Fox News Digital Friday that it reached a deal with the Trump administration’s Office of the Border Czar to transfer the materials “at-cost” back to the feds. The move comes after years of waste and controversy following President Biden’s 2021 executive order freezing wall construction.
Materials Worth Hundreds of Millions Left to Rot
The unused panels, bollards, and other components — valued between $260 million and $350 million — had been sitting in storage in states like New Mexico and Arizona at taxpayer expense. According to Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), the Pentagon was spending $130,000 per day just to guard them.
Instead of using the materials for border security, the Biden administration began auctioning them off through GovPlanet in 2023 — in some cases for “pennies on the dollar.” One lot of 33-foot steel wall panels reportedly sold for $1 apiece in sets of five.
Texas and Other States Bought Some of the Stock
Roughly 60% of the components were transferred to states and federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the state purchased $12 million worth of materials to use for its own wall construction.
By August 2023, GovPlanet had sold dozens of lots, including 729 “hollow beams” for $154,200, according to the New York Post. By that time, only about $498,000 had been raised from the sales, Newsweek reported.
Legal Battles and Frozen Auctions
The fire sale drew outrage from Republican lawmakers and state officials. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham argued the Biden administration was violating court orders by selling the components instead of using them for construction.
In December 2023, federal Judge Drew Tipton issued a 30-day freeze on sales and ordered the Biden administration to explain whether it violated a prior ruling in Texas’ favor requiring certain funds be spent on the wall.
Lt. Gov. Patrick later claimed he was told the auctions would be paused until after Trump’s second inauguration. The items disappeared from GovPlanet’s listings shortly afterward.
Back on Track Under Trump
GovPlanet now says the materials will be turned over to a third-party contractor for border wall construction over the next 90 days. The company praised the arrangement as a way to “protect the millions of dollars that U.S. taxpayers had already invested in this initiative” and expedite border security work.
A White House official told Fox News Digital the Trump administration is “grateful for all third parties who are interested in helping keep America’s borders safe and secure.”
Border Patrol union official Art del Cueto noted the materials are still in usable condition. “They could put down footing, pick it back up and use it,” he said, adding that rebuilding from scratch would cost taxpayers far more.
