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GAO Slaps CBP for $3.5M Border Tent Boondoggle

April 10, 2020 (1 min read)

GAO, Apr. 9, 2020

"BORDER SECURITY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Management of a Temporary Facility in Texas Raised Concerns about Resources Used

The number of people U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended on the southwest border more than doubled to 850,000 from FY 2018 to 2019. CBP hired a contractor to put up a temporary facility in Tornillo, Texas, capable of holding 2,500. CBP paid the contractor $66 million to provide meals, guards, and other services for 5 months. While open, the facility held no more than 68 detainees on any given day. CBP spent $5.3 million on unnecessary food, and used significant personnel resources (contractors, CBP staff, and personnel from other agencies) in the facility. We recommended that CBP review this acquisition for lessons learned."