Mass deportation or bust: Trump’s one shot to get it right



You can’t litigate your way out of an invasion.

Removal is not considered a criminal punishment but an administrative consequence of sovereignty. If it were treated as a form of punishment, it would require due process and could take months to remove even the worst offenders. We see that happening now, and we can no longer afford these delays.

President Donald Trump should challenge overreaching court rulings and use resources more effectively to maximize the number of removals.

End judicial tyranny

Imagine you are a liberal judge on the federal bench. You know the political system — including all three branches of government and both major parties — grants you sweeping authority to dictate policy through an injunction. Regardless of legal precedents, constitutional constraints, rules of standing, or national security concerns, you can issue an opinion that instantly becomes “the law of the land.” Why wouldn’t you exploit that power like a judicial version of Kim Jong Un?

By cutting through the legal obstacles, ICE could apprehend and remove individuals in a single step.

At some point, we must stop blaming judges for legislating with impunity and start holding the other branches accountable for not just relinquishing their own power but for enabling judges to usurp the law. As St. George Tucker wrote in his commentaries on the Constitution, “If we consider the nature of the judicial authority, and the manner in which it operates, we shall discover that it cannot, of itself, oppress any individual; for the executive authority must lend its aid in every instance where oppression can ensue from its decisions.”

If President Trump is unwilling to simply ignore these lawless rulings, he should at least insist that Congress include a provision in a must-pass bill to eliminate all judicial review for deportations. At a minimum, lower courts should be removed from the process entirely. Unless a plaintiff files a habeas petition claiming the individual is actually a citizen or has been misidentified, all removals should be final.

We already have several million immigrants with criminal convictions living in this country, at least eight million who entered during Joe Biden’s term, and many others who arrived earlier. If we continue to extend this level of due process — whether through administrative courts or Article III courts — we risk undermining our sovereignty. This explains why Trump is averaging only a few hundred thousand removals annually at the current pace.

How did President Dwight D. Eisenhower manage to remove more than one million illegal aliens in just a few months in 1954 — after the passage of the modern Immigration and Nationality Act — without facing endless lawsuits? Today, every deportation becomes a legal battle.

Eisenhower’s administration had fewer resources, just 800 Border Patrol agents, and primitive technology. Still, they got the job done because they believed in themselves and in the nation. They also understood that you don’t repel an invasion through litigation. Our immigration system was never designed to grant full due process to individuals here illegally, and that principle should be clarified in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

When court proceedings — even in administrative courts — are required, Immigration and Customs Enforcement currently must provide detention space for each person it apprehends rather than taking them directly to the point of removal. By cutting through the legal obstacles, ICE could apprehend and remove individuals in a single step.

But how?

Maritime removals

Trump is currently using military and commercial flights to remove illegal aliens. Most flights carry only 100 to 200 passengers and are difficult to secure against potential unrest. They also cost more, rely on airports in potentially hostile countries, and require additional personnel.

A better option might be to use Navy and Coast Guard vessels from ports in Florida and Texas, which sit along the Gulf Coast toward Latin America. The president could also call on the Department of Transportation’s National Defense Reserve Fleet. This force of about 100 ships receives nearly $1 billion in annual appropriations and can be activated within 20 to 120 days for emergency sealift operations during wartime or in response to disasters.

The NDRF includes mostly cargo ships and tankers. Its Ready Reserve Force — comprised of 41 vessels — provides extra shipping capacity or rapid deployment for U.S. military forces. These ships are stationed at 18 ports, including three in Texas and one in Florida.

This fleet features National Security Multi-Mission Vessels, each able to carry 1,000 people — far more than the roughly 100-person capacity of a C-17 plane or the 150 to 200 seats on most commercial aircraft. These ships can stay at sea for 14 days without resupply and include medical facilities, enough space for 60 cargo containers, a helicopter landing pad, and roll-on/roll-off vehicle capacity. They could be activated immediately and based at a designated port along the Gulf of America.

By using these vessels, President Donald Trump could transport far more unauthorized immigrants for removal at a lower cost than air travel.

Call up National Guard

One major obstacle to large-scale deportations is a lack of detention space. Shifting to maritime operations would shorten the time illegal aliens spend in custody by reducing reliance on deportation flights. Newly apprehended people would enter detention as those previously held depart.

Yet, Trump doesn’t need hundreds of billions of dollars to build new detention facilities. During Operation Desert Storm, U.S. forces suddenly found themselves guarding 65,000 Iraqi prisoners of war who surrendered en masse. The military constructed temporary detention sites practically overnight. Trump could replicate this approach by ordering the National Guard to set up outdoor facilities near Gulf Coast “deportation ports.” It’s an inexpensive, efficient way to get the job done.

Trump will have only one shot to get mass deportations done right. If he deports just a few hundred thousand people each year despite a mandate to address the crisis, critics will say mass deportations are unworkable and push for amnesty. Now is the time for Trump to use every tool and resource at hand to meet that mandate.

Inside JD Vance’s Tone-Setting Trip To The Southern Border

Inside JD Vance's Tone-Setting Trip To The Southern Border

White House highlights border wall progress as Trump shuts down benefits for illegal aliens



The White House shared a video on Thursday highlighting the Trump administration's progress in resuming the construction of the border wall.

The video showed a rig lifting a large wall panel as construction workers guided it into place along the border.

'My administration will uphold the rule of law.'

The White House's Rapid Response team captioned the video, "[Point of view]: Illegals are no longer going to be able to flood your country."

On Thursday, the administration also shared an article from the Santa Fe New Mexican, detailing the effort to continue construction in New Mexico.

"PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT," the White House wrote, adding that construction is currently "underway."

The news outlet detailed the "El Paso 2 Wall Project," an effort to close a 0.2-mile and a 40-foot gap in New Mexico, according to Customs and Border Protection.

KFOX stated that razor wire was also added this week to existing border wall sections in El Paso.

CBP officials have said border construction has resumed in San Diego, California, and Yuma and Tucson, Arizona.

Over the past month, border crossings have reportedly dropped more than 90%.

In furtherance of his goal to end the illegal immigration crisis, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday evening prohibiting illegal aliens from receiving federally funded benefits.

"My administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans," the order read.

Trump accused "numerous administrations" of undermining the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which bans illegal aliens from receiving benefits.

"Over the last four years, in particular, the prior administration repeatedly undercut the goals of that law, resulting in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources," the executive action stated.

Border czar Tom Homan responded to Trump's executive action during an interview with Fox News.

"These billions of dollars we're going to save, that illegal aliens shouldn't be getting, they're going to help rebuild North Carolina. They're going to help rebuild California. ... There's a lot of things we can do for American citizens, the homeless vets," Homan said.

He noted that the taxpayer funds are "illegally being given to people who aren't supposed to be here."

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Judge blocks Biden admin from selling Trump's border wall materials in final days



A federal judge on Friday blocked President Joe Biden from selling off any more border wall materials in the final days of his administration.

Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton's office announced the "victory," noting that its motion last week requested the court to determine whether the Biden administration had violated the court's permanent injunction. The injunction prohibited the federal government from using taxpayer dollars designated for constructing the border wall for any other purposes.

'Expose just how corrupt and anti-American Radical Democrats are.'

Missouri and President-elect Donald Trump joined Texas' request.

Paxton's office accused the current administration of selling the unused material "for pennies on the dollar," undermining Trump's pledge to restart border wall construction.

Biden halted the ongoing build in January 2021 and began quietly selling the materials in 2023.

On Friday, Paxton's office reported that a federal judge's ruling halted the sale for the next 30 days, effectively preventing the Biden administration from selling more material before Trump's Inauguration Day.

It noted that the judge's decision will be adopted as a court order and, therefore, "enforceable if any violations occur."

Additionally, the judge ruled that the Biden administration must turn over documentation to Texas proving that it did not violate the court's injunction. If it is found that the administration breached the order, it "would constitute unethical and sanctionable conduct, and the responsible parties could be held in contempt of court," Paxton's office explained.

Paxton stated, "We have successfully blocked the Biden administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office."

"This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his administration accountable for illegally subverting our nation's border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trump's immigration agenda," he added.

A defense official previously told Fox News that the unused materials being auctioned off on GovPlanet no longer belonged to the federal government and that it had "no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns."

The Biden administration did not respond to a request for comment from Axios.

Trump replied to the judge's ruling in a post on Truth Social, calling it a "crucial WIN for America, and our National Security."

He stated that "Biden and his cronies" have "wrecked" the border wall, and he pledged to restart its construction.

"The Judge has also ordered an investigation into the illegal selling of the materials, which will expose just how corrupt and anti-American Radical Democrats are," Trump wrote.

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America last: Democrats push mass migration, ignore voters



The anti-American leftists in this country have lost their minds. Joe Biden is selling off the bollard fencing material that has been sitting in storage locations along the border since he halted border fence construction nearly four years ago. Did I mention that he is selling it at a tiny fraction of its cost and its value?

Perhaps Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas truly hate America so much that they want to inflict as much pain as possible before they leave office. I’m hoping that there is justice for people who have wreaked havoc on America and have done so purposefully.

The left is content with the nearly seven million illegal aliens paroled into America under Joe Biden.

The San Diego County, California’s board of supervisors wasn’t satisfied living in the most dangerous sanctuary state in the country. They decided that they wanted to be a “super sanctuary city.” The board is thrilled that murderers, rapists, and other mayhem makers will be released into the San Diego area.

Supervisor Jim Desmond, the only sane member of the board, explained what San Diego residents can expect. “Under this policy, law enforcement is prohibited from notifying ICE about individuals in custody, who have committed violent and heinous crimes, including rape and stalking, assault and battery, burglary, child abuse, and more,” he said.

Reports are clear that the Biden regime released thousands of crime-committing illegal aliens during Biden’s four-year tenure. That apparently is not enough in San Diego.

All this while, cartel activity south of the border is on the rise. As Ben Bergquam reports, stores are proliferating along the border, financed by Mexican cartels, that cater specifically to illegal aliens. The rush to get here before January 20, 2025, the day of President Trump’s inauguration, is on.

My border sources also tell me that because the deadline is looming just about a month away, prices charged by the cartels that control our southern border are soaring. Not too many weeks back, I met several illegal aliens crossing the border. They each told me that the fee to the cartel for their illegal border crossing was $5,000. I am now hearing the price is $10,000 per person.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vowed to block President Trump’s proposed mass deportations. She has forgotten that Trump won Arizona convincingly by campaigning on his border security proposal. (By the way, so did almost every Republican in the state.) But Hobbs is joined by the radical mayor of Tucson in vowing to take in and shelter untold hordes of illegal aliens from deportation.

They, like Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and other radical Democrats, are out of step with history. These leftists are unhinged.

The left is content with the nearly seven million illegal aliens paroled into America under Joe Biden. The gathering of peoples from all over the world has undermined our culture, our economy, and even our political system. Nations throughout the world recognize these obvious results from mass migration.

The reality is most Americans want our border security problem solved, and concomitantly, the elite authoritarians on the left, suffering from Trump derangement syndrome, want a continuation of the disastrous Biden-era policies. In short, people on the left have lost their minds. We need to make America sane again.

Trump moves to halt Biden's 'potentially criminal' sale of border wall materials



President-elect Donald Trump filed an amicus brief Thursday evening over the Biden administration's "potentially criminal" sale of border wall materials.

Trump's amicus brief supports a motion filed Tuesday by Texas and Missouri, requesting a status conference to determine whether the Biden administration breached the court's permanent injunction. That injunction prohibited using taxpayer funds designated for border wall construction for any other purposes.

'At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior.'

After Biden halted the construction of Trump's border wall in January 2021, the administration began quietly selling the materials in 2023.

A defense official previously told Fox News that the unused materials had first been offered to "authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California."

"The remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024," the official stated. "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."

On Thursday, Trump filed the amicus brief calling for the Biden administration to "immediately" stop the auctions.

"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, and the Court should swiftly conduct a searching examination of the Government's conduct, by formal discovery if necessary, to examine the Government's compliance with the law, the Constitution, and the Court's injunction," the court filing read.

Trump claimed that if the administration is "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, such conduct likely constitutes a criminal act, such as a conspiracy to defraud the United States."

"At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior," it read.

Trump has stated that he plans to restart construction on the southern border once he is back in office.

He stated on Monday, "They [the Biden administration] know we're going to use it, and if we don't have it, we're going to have to rebuild it. And it'll cost double what it cost years ago, and that's hundreds of millions of dollars because you're talking about a lot of, a lot of wall."

Texas officials have pledged to help Trump with border security in any way they can.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) committed to purchasing the auctioned border wall materials to return them to Trump.

"If there's any decent panels available anywhere, we'll buy them and we'll give them to President Trump when he comes in," he told Fox News on Monday.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who also joined the Texas and Missouri's motion this week, vowed to provide Patrick with land to store the border wall materials until Trump's return.

"If you buy it, I have a place to store it — on state land! The [Texas General Land Office] is standing by to help!" Buckingham said.

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Texas to buy border wall materials for Trump's return after Biden tried to scrap unused segments



Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) committed to buying the border wall segments that President Joe Biden tried to auction off to halt the continuation of President-elect Donald Trump's wall construction.

"I will bid on all of that wall, and we will buy it in Texas, and we will give it to Donald Trump," he said on an episode of Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle."

'This is pure evil against the American people.'

Patrick elaborated on Texas' plan in a post on X, saying that the state will purchase "any panels that make economic sense" and "give them to President Trump when he takes office."

He explained that the Texas Facilities Commission took a closer look at the material being auctioned and found it was "mostly junk, with most panels covered in concrete and rust."

"There were a few panels that might be usable but not worth the cost of shipping to Texas from Arizona," he said. "In short, this was a Biden ruse to gain favor with the radical left open border crowd, showing Biden was fighting President Trump to the bitter end."

During a Fox News interview on Monday, Patrick reiterated, "If there's any decent panels available anywhere, we'll buy them and we'll give them to President Trump when he comes in."

Patrick called Biden's attempts to thwart Trump's border security plan "evil."

"They've opened this border up to 14, 15 million people, terrorists, murders, rapists, child sex offenders," he continued. "This is pure evil against the American people."

Patrick stated that Texas is prepared to do everything within its power to assist Trump in curbing the illegal immigration crisis.

In response to Patrick's plan to purchase unused border segments, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said she can provide the land to store the material until Trump's return.

"If you buy it, I have a place to store it — on state land! The [Texas General Land Office] is standing by to help!" Buckingham declared.

In November, Buckingham offered the Trump administration more than 1,400 acres of land "to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation's history."

"My office has identified several of our properties and is standing by ready to make this happen on Day One of the Trump presidency," she stated.

Tom Homan, Trump's incoming border czar, has stated that the administration fully intends to take Texas up on its offer to utilize the land to facilitate its mass deportation plan.

Trump has also indicated that he is coordinating with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and others to retrieve the border wall materials.

"What they're doing is really an act, it's almost a criminal act," Trump said. "They know we're going to use it, and if we don't have it, we're going to have to rebuild it. And it'll cost double what it cost years ago, and that's hundreds of millions of dollars because you're talking about a lot of, a lot of wall."

Biden halted the construction of the border wall in January 2021 and began quietly auctioning off the already-purchased materials for pennies on the dollar in 2023.

A defense official told Fox News, "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 remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024," the official continued. "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."

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Border chaos looms as migrants race to beat Trump policies



Migrants traveling through Mexico to reach the United States feel a deep sense of uncertainty. That uncertainty stems from Donald Trump’s victory in November and his promise to seal the southern border and target those living in the U.S. illegally.

However, much of the uncertainty centers on what will happen when migrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. Based on my recent trip to Oaxaca, they remain determined to reach the United States, Trump or no Trump.

The effects of the Biden-Harris border crisis will likely persist for years, even if Trump follows through on his campaign promises.

“Yes, it’s become more difficult. The moment they named Trump as president, it’s become horrible. Since he’s been named, we now live in uncertainty. We live with fear, with angst,” one Venezuelan man in a makeshift camp said in an interview. “We get desperate to be able to cross” the border.

“We are all going with the same goal, and in this moment, we are not thinking about deportations because we are thinking about entering” the United States, one woman who was with a large group of women and children told me.

Another group of young adults said they plan to reach the northern Mexican border by Wednesday, Dec. 18. They believe the United Nations’ designation of International Migrants Day means the border will be open for them to cross. Todd Bensman, a senior national security fellow with the Center for Immigration Studies, reported hearing the same rumor during his recent trip to Mexico City.

Two things can be true at once: The Mexican government is cracking down on migrants in certain parts of the country while taking a more relaxed approach in other regions.

A recent video from Piedras Negras, a Mexican border town across from Eagle Pass, Texas, highlights the ongoing issue. Although the area is less busy than this time last year, a sizeable group illegally crossed the Rio Grande while U.S. National Guardsmen in boats tried to deter them. What stood out was that the group crossed from the town itself, not the outskirts. No Mexican officials intervened to stop the migrants from entering the river.

This underscores the challenges facing the new Trump administration when it takes power next month. While Trump’s tariff threats appear to have made crossing Mexico more difficult, the impact remains insufficient. For nearly four years, the flow of migrants has continued unabated. Many interests — corrupt officials, cartels, and non-governmental organizations — have profited off the backs of vulnerable people. All of them have a vested interest in keeping that flow moving.

Tens of thousands of migrants remain in Mexico. Some have just begun their journey in the south, while others are already near the U.S. border after setting out months ago. The Mexican government has broken up caravans leaving the border town of Tapachula, but primarily to reduce the appearance of large groups arriving at the border at once. Mexico failed to prevent this during the 2021 Del Rio, Texas, international bridge crisis, when Haitians overwhelmed the small city.

While Trump’s win has demoralized some migrants, for many, it is just another obstacle in a long series of challenges. Going home is simply not an option.

Migrants are also entering the United States through the CBP One app. Trump’s Department of Homeland Security will almost certainly cancel the program, but many migrants are already heading to ports of entry because they are enrolled or expect to be soon. Once the app goes offline, thousands who made the journey may believe they have no reason to return to their home countries.

The effects of the Biden-Harris border crisis will likely persist for years, even if Trump follows through on his campaign promises. As the saying goes, you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. Migrants, NGOs, and bad actors will happily exploit any weak point in action or policy. The new Trump administration must not falter.

Exclusive: Rep. Biggs presses Biden admin over auctioning border wall material



Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and dozens of his House GOP colleagues pressed the Biden administration's decision to auction off unused border materials less than one month before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office, according to a letter Tuesday obtained exclusively by Blaze News.

After President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, his administration worked quickly to halt the construction of the border wall and to get rid of Trump's immigration policies. As a result, the Department of Defense began to auction border materials, a move that Biggs and his colleagues said "serves only as a legal gimmick" for Biden to prevent Trump from further securing the border.

'The fact that your administration has not done so after an election where the President-elect made clear his intention to erect more barriers shows a clear intention to inhibit your successor in accomplishing his stated goal of securing the border and stopping the largest flow of illegal immigration in American history.'

"These actions are tantamount to purposeful waste of government resources and are part of a deliberate effort to preemptively curtail the next administration on an issue which loomed large in the previous election," the letter reads.

"Since you took office, these border materials have sat idle just feet away from the border wall and the adjacent unfinished areas," the letter continued. "Every Border Patrol agent knows that the areas with the highest number of illegal crossings are where border construction immediately halted in January of 2021."

Since Biden took office, there have been nine million nationwide migrant encounters, over 7.4 million of which took place on the southern border alone.

"Since then, your administration has not expressed the intention to use the border materials for their purpose or create a plan to ensure homeland security at the border," the letter reads. "Instead, the American people have seen the number of illegal aliens entering the country skyrocket, including dramatic increases in convicted criminals and individuals on terror watchlists."

The letter also mentions that departments like the DOD could have reasonably opted to keep certain materials for incoming administrations "in the interest of government efficiency and budgetary constraints." Despite this, the Biden administration decided to sell the materials anyway.

"The fact that your administration has not done so after an election where the President-elect made clear his intention to erect more barriers shows a clear intention to inhibit your successor in accomplishing his stated goal of securing the border and stopping the largest flow of illegal immigration in American history," the letter reads.

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Blaze News original: Biden's immigration nightmare — Trump left to clean up $160 million in ICE waste, unused centers



With the sun setting on the Biden-Harris administration, President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming Cabinet face an unprecedented challenge — resolving the chaotic and overwhelming immigration crisis.

Despite having the necessary resources to put a stop to illegal immigration, the current administration has instead used taxpayer dollars in ways that have worsened the problem rather than solving it.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, millions of dollars were allocated to various initiatives purportedly designed to tackle the immigration crisis. Yet some of those investments — including a multimillion-dollar processing center and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention space — were not utilized.

Unused illegal alien center

In the summer, the Biden-Harris administration's Federal Emergency Management Agency allocated nearly $20 million in taxpayer funds to open an illegal immigrant processing center in San Diego County.

The decision to establish the center was made amid a massive surge in unlawful immigration in the San Diego Sector. Border encounters in the area spiked by 40% in fiscal year 2024, surpassing the already record-high numbers from the year before.

The facility was designed to provide basic services to foreign nationals who had recently entered the country as well as assist them with traveling to their intended destinations within the U.S.

‘Instead of prioritizing Americans' needs, this administration has chosen to funnel resources into programs that don't even function.’

In two separate votes, four out of five San Diego County supervisors voted to accept FEMA's funding, believing it would help manage the overwhelming crisis.

Supervisor Jim Desmond (R), the one lone dissenter on the board, was not convinced. He argued that the FEMA funds failed to establish a long-term solution to the immigration issues, instead acting as only a Band-Aid over a symptom.

Desmond contended that passing the proposal "effectively approves and perpetuates the federal government's mismanagement of the border."

"I refuse to be complicit in a broken system," he added.

Desmond's skepticism about the multimillion-dollar processing facility was warranted. Although FEMA funding was approved in May, the facility has remained largely unused.

In July, the county selected Jewish Family Service to manage the center. However, after two months of negotiations, the deal collapsed after the parties could not develop a sustainable plan.

San Diego County spokesperson Michael Workman said in a joint statement with JFS, "Despite best-faith efforts, the two parties have been unable to develop a plan to meet the scope of work required to address the needs of migrants in the region based on federal funding criteria and have mutually agreed to end negotiations."

Consequently, the county was forced to relaunch the search for a new contractor, with no clear timeline on when an agreement might be secured.

Following the devastating impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the federal government claimed that FEMA's funds were quickly dwindling and the agency would struggle to provide aid in the event of another disaster.

Desmond torched the federal government for throwing money at the immigration crisis and failing to allocate enough resources to ensure assistance for Americans.

"The federal government claims they have no funds left to assist American citizens whose homes and lives have been torn apart. Yet this is the same government that spent $20 million on a migrant processing center in San Diego that isn't even being used. That was a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, and now American citizens are being told there's nothing left for them," Desmond explained in an emailed press release.

"At the time, I voted against accepting $20 million from the federal government to establish a migrant processing center in San Diego County," he continued. "I firmly believe that we shouldn't be complicit in the federal government's — and specifically this administration's — failure to enforce immigration laws effectively. My concerns were validated. That facility, which was supposed to address a critical immigration issue, is sitting idle, serving no purpose, while Americans are left to suffer."

He called the shortage of funds for citizens "a slap in the face to every hardworking American."

"It's a glaring example of the federal government's incompetence and mismanagement. Instead of prioritizing Americans' needs, this administration has chosen to funnel resources into programs that don't even function," Desmond added.

‘This is taxpayer money that incentivizes illegal immigration and could be far better spent on pressing local needs.’

In mid-September, the county submitted a Notice of Intent to Award after entering into negotiations with a different provider. However, the offer was rescinded approximately a month later due to failed negotiations.

"No award will be made, as there were no additional proposals received to evaluate," the county's rescindment notice read.

A spokesperson for San Diego County told Blaze News, "The County is pausing work to consider its options and will be sharing an evaluation with the Board of Supervisors in early 2025."

Desmond described the county's decision to open the center as "completely unnecessary."

He told Blaze News, "The County of San Diego's plan to open a 'Migrant Welcome Center' is completely unnecessary, especially given the incoming administration's commitment to securing our borders."

Desmond explained that Vice President-elect JD Vance told him that securing the border and stopping the Biden-Harris administration's illegal immigration crisis would be the incoming administration's "top priority."

"The need for a facility to welcome and process migrants will be obsolete as this new administration takes real, decisive action to stop illegal crossings," he added.

"The county has already poured millions into temporary shelters and legal fees for those facing deportation, with little to show for it," Desmond continued. "FEMA contributed $19 million, and the county has spent $6 million on a temporary shelter, alongside another $5 million in legal fees to defend illegal immigrants facing deportation. This is taxpayer money that incentivizes illegal immigration and could be far better spent on pressing local needs, from infrastructure to community services that directly benefit San Diegans."

Empty beds

The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General has released a number of bombshell reports spotlighting federal government waste. A startling report in September revealed that under the Biden-Harris administration, ICE wasted more than $100 million in taxpayer dollars on unused detention bed space.

The OIG report read, "We calculated ICE paid approximately $160 million for unused bed space under guaranteed minimum contracts."

To make matters worse, as of July, there were more than 425,000 convicted criminal immigrants and another 222,000 with pending criminal charges on the agency's non-detained docket, according to data released in September by ICE acting Director Patrick Lechleitner. The convicted and accused criminals were reportedly responsible for offenses ranging from traffic violations and theft to sexual assault and homicide.

Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, called ICE's unused detention space "one of the most scandalous examples of negligence under the Biden administration."

Vaughan told Blaze News, "ICE left beds unused and closed detention facilities, even as illegal migrants surged over the border in historic numbers and even as they were releasing criminal aliens in the interior."

"Americans were killed by illegal aliens that they released who should have been and could have been detained and removed," she added.

‘The Biden administration should have at least finished the parts of the job that were paid for, but Congress let him get away with just throwing away the money.’

In a New York City-specific instance of inefficiency, taxpayers paid $432 million for a contract with Rapid Reliable Testing NY LLC, also known as DocGo, aimed at providing housing for illegal aliens. However, according to an August independent audit, over the first two months of the no-bid contract, DocGo received $1.7 million for nearly 10,000 hotel rooms for illegal immigrants that sat vacant.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (D) stated at the time, "Our detailed investigation into DocGo invoices and properties found a wide range of fiscal mismanagement and shoddy oversight — from DocGo overpaying security subcontractors by $2 million, skimming off over $400,000 in overhead for almost 10,000 unused hotels rooms, and failing to ensure promised social and casework services. Each misstep reveals that the administration failed to adequately vet the company or oversee their work."

A spokesperson for Democrat Mayor Eric Adams' office accused Lander's audit of "nitpick[ing]" during "an unprecedented international humanitarian crisis."

The wall

Vaughan told Blaze News that one of the most disgraceful examples of the federal government throwing away taxpayer dollars was the Biden-Harris administration's decision to stop the construction of the southern border wall after the materials had already been purchased and contractors had already been paid for the work.

"The materials sat and rusted out in the open for many months, until Texas purchased some of them. The Biden administration should have at least finished the parts of the job that were paid for, but Congress let him get away with just throwing away the money," Vaughan explained.

Last year, the New York Post reported that the administration was quietly auctioning off the unused materials for a fraction of the original $300 million cost.

The materials, auctioned on GovPlanet, fetched prices between $25,700 and $32,505. In October 2023, the federal government managed to recover about $116,000 by selling 28-foot metal fencing tubes. Previously, in September, it sold approximately $455,000 worth of unused border wall materials, and in August, it gained around $500,000 from similar sales.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) stated at the time, "This sale is a wasteful and ludicrous decision by the Biden administration that only serves as further proof they have no shame."

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also criticized the administration for the move.

"Leaving the border open to terrorists while selling border security materials at a loss is Bidenomics in a nutshell," Cotton said.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer called the sale of the materials an example of "waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars."

"We should be using tools already at our disposal to stop the surge of illegal border crossings. When someone is repeatedly breaking into your home, you don't sell the locks on the door," he added.

Days after the Biden administration was caught selling off the unused material, it announced that it planned to resume building a new 20-mile section of the wall along the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The funding for the new section was reportedly appropriated by Congress in 2019.

The Biden administration had to purchase or seize private lands and bypass environmental laws to build the new section.

‘Dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.’

Trump torched Biden for the reversal.

"So interesting to watch Crooked Joe Biden break every environmental law in the book to prove that I was right when I built 560 miles ... of brand new, beautiful border wall. As I have stated often, over thousands of years, there are only two things that have consistently worked, wheels, and walls!" he wrote on Truth Social.

"Will Joe Biden apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving, and allowing our country to be flooded with 15 million illegals immigrants, from places unknown. I will await his apology!" he added.

Trump has vowed to finish the construction of the border wall once he returns to office.

When asked how the Trump administration can ensure taxpayer funds are no longer wasted on unused services and materials, Vaughan told Blaze News, "The incoming administration can end a lot of this waste by enforcing the law, by detaining illegal border-crossers and repatriating them swiftly, by using the accelerated forms of due process available under the law, by streamlining the immigration court processes, by reprogramming money from activities that benefit NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and their illegal alien clients to activities that support immigration enforcement, and by denying federal law enforcement grants to sanctuary jurisdictions."

There is optimism that the incoming administration will focus on reducing unnecessary expenditures and removing the bureaucratic red tape within the federal government.

On November 12, Trump tapped Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead his new Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE. The two business leaders will be tasked with shrinking the federal government and ensuring taxpayers' dollars are used wisely.

Trump stated, "Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the 'Save America' Movement."

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