March 17, 2025
Army Corps awards $70 million border wall contract bypassing competitive bidding
Taxpayers pay millions per mile for ineffective barrier
💵Tax & Budget🛡️National Security
In Mar. 2025, Trump awarded the first border wall contract of his second term - $70 million for 7 miles in Texas, using unspent Congressional appropriations from fiscal year 2021 that Biden chose not to spend
Granite Construction receives $10 million per mile for border barrier construction while federal transportation, education, and social programs face massive budget reductions elsewhere
Trump plans to build 85 miles of border wall in 2025 and hundreds more by 2026, demonstrating how unspent appropriations remain available for future presidents without new congressional authorization
Hidalgo County, Texas receives $70 million in federal infrastructure investment while other regions face cuts, revealing how border construction receives protection from budget austerity
Private contractors like Granite Construction have earned billions from border barrier contracts spanning Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, creating steady revenue streams regardless of party control
Senator 
Katie Britt's $25 billion WALL Act faces impossible Senate math requiring 60 votes in an evenly divided chamber, but existing appropriations allow substantial construction without new legislation
The border security industrial complex guarantees contractor profits through revolving cycles of construction cancellations and restarts across different presidential administrations
💵Tax & Budget🛡️National Security
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
During Trump's first term, 458 miles of border wall were completed.
Q2
Vice President JD Vance visited the southern border to highlight Trump administration border efforts.
Q3
Former President Biden froze funding for the border wall program when he took office.
Q4
Which company received the first border wall contract of Trump's second term?
Q5
The first border wall contract is funded with 2021 fiscal year money from CBP.
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Start QuizPeople, bills, and sources
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Katie Britt
U.S. Senator from Alabama
Joe Biden
Former President
What you can do
1
civic action
Contact your representatives demanding oversight of noncompetitive border wall contracts and environmental review bypass
The Army Corps awarded a $70 million noncompetitive contract to Granite Construction Co. on March 17, 2025 for 7 miles of border wall in Hidalgo County. This continues a pattern from Trump's first term where the Corps awarded $4.3 billion in noncompetitive contracts. DHS recently awarded $3.3 billion in additional contracts. The Army Corps listed 600 'emergency' projects to bypass environmental review, raising costs and accountability concerns.
Call your representatives at 202-224-3121 demanding oversight of noncompetitive border wall contracts and environmental review bypass. Key points: $70M noncompetitive contract to Granite Construction March 17, 2025. First contract of Trump's second term. Pattern continues from first term: $4.3B in noncompetitive contracts. DHS awarded $3.3B in additional contracts Nov-Dec 2025. Army Corps bypassing environmental review on 600 'emergency' projects. Ask: Will you investigate noncompetitive contracting practices? Will you restore environmental review requirements?
2
Support border communities through organizations like the Border Network for Human Rights (bnhr.org) advocating for comprehensive immigration reform rather than wall construction
3
Join immigration policy organizations like the American Immigration Council (americanimmigrationcouncil.org) providing research on border wall effectiveness and costs
4
Support environmental groups like the Sierra Club challenging border wall construction's impact on wildlife habitats and cross-border ecosystems
5
Contact the House Homeland Security Committee at 202-225-2616 to demand hearings on border wall contractor profits and revolving door relationships
6
Advocate with local and state representatives to prioritize infrastructure spending on roads, bridges, and public transit over border barriers
7
Support organizations like the Cato Institute and libertarian groups questioning government spending effectiveness and contractor waste in border wall projects