President-elect Donald Trump has filed an amicus brief this week to try and stop the Biden administration from selling off border wall materials.
Trump is in support of a motion filed earlier this week in a district court in the southern district of Texas by the state as well as Missouri who are seeking to hold a status conference to determine if the federal government is in breach of the court’s permanent injunction from earlier this year. The injunction prevented the Biden administration from using funds directed towards wall construction for anything else.
The president-elect believes the actions of the Biden administration constitute a criminal act like conspiracy to defraud the United States and that they are "deliberately selling off border-wall materials at a major financial loss to the Government to obstruct the pro-wall policy of Congress and President Trump."
The Biden administration put a stop to border wall construction in 2021 and began selling off border wall material in 2023. Border officials say auctions for border wall parts have been happening more recently and more frequently.
"The Court should issue an order directing the Defendants to immediately stop any ongoing sale of border-barrier materials to private parties pending the Court’s review of Defendant’s conduct," part of the amicus brief states.
Texas officials including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have said that the state would purchase the border wall materials and give them back to Trump once he takes office. Trump also said earlier this week that has been in contact with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton about ways to acquire the materials.