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FACT BRIEF

Is the Biden administration selling materials the Trump administration bought to build a border wall?

By Carmela Guaglianone
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YES

Materials initially purchased by the Trump administration for the former president’s border wall project have been listed for auction and sold on a government surplus marketplace, GovPlanet. The Biden Administration paused construction on the border wall in 2021.

The supplies are being sold under a federal law requiring the Department of Defense to create and enact a plan to use, transfer or donate stored materials to states along the southern border. Introduced by Republican lawmakers, the law gave priority to projects meant to enhance or maintain security along the border, with the intention of eliminating the cost to maintain or store the materials. It specifically references materials purchased between 2017 and 2021 under former President Trump's declaration of a national border emergency.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
GovPlanet (4) 32.91’ X 7.91’ Steel Bollard Wall Sections w/Grout
US Congress National Defense Authorization Act 2024
White House FACT SHEET: Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security Plans for Border Wall Funds
US Department of Defense DOD Statement on the President's Declaration of a National Emergency on the Southern Border
White House Proclamation on the Termination Of Emergency With Respect To The Southern Border Of The United States And Redirection Of Funds Diverted To Border Wall Construction 
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.