The Department of Homeland Security is delaying the construction of prototypes of President Trump’s border wall until winter at the earliest after some of the companies who submitted losing bids for the project challenged the bidding process, according to a report Thursday.
According to a memo sent by the Customs and Border Protection legislative affairs office, obtained by CNN, two companies that were not selected to be finalists filed four protests against the bidding process. Two of the protests, from WNIS, were dismissed. But two more, filed by Penna Group, are still under review and won’t be decided until October, CNN reported.
Last month, Ronald Vitiello, acting deputy commissioner at Customs and Border Protection, said the agency this summer would begin building wall prototypes in San Diego.
Congress has not appropriated money for the border wall, so DHS has only been able to pursue the prototypes.
Immigration officials are using $20 million from other programs to pay for the prototypes.
On Thursday, however, the House was moving toward partially funding the border wall by passing a $790 billion fiscal 2018 spending package that provides $1.6 billion to complete 74 miles of a wall along the southern border. The Senate, however, is unlikely to consider the House measure because Democrats plan to filibuster it.
