Construction was done by Tommy Fisher's Fisher Sand & Gravel, a company that President Trump has suggested should be contracted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, or the US government for federally funded border wall construction. Thousands of Americans die every year at the hands of Mexican cartels who are smuggling deadly narcotics onto the streets in every American city, Violent Killers & gang members are flowing into America and harming innocent people. [31][32], In August 2020, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District in New York announced indictments of Kolfage and Bannon for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. All Memorial Memorial Plaques We can help you recognize loved ones and those who’ve been an important part of a family or organization. This is the first ever border barrier in the state of Texas that is actually built within feet of the border, instead of miles inland like the US Army Corps of Engineers has been doing for decades. We Build the Wall has repeatedly fulfilled its commitments to its donors and has built two sections of border wall. These have long been popular due to their lasting visual power, but modern walls have evolved beyond the static metal plaques that may come to mind. It started as a GoFundMe campaign by United States Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage in December 2018. If you would like to contribute to Brian’s fund, click HERE to go to his website. Donor Recognition Walls. Bannon and three others are accused of defrauding donors to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars raised via a crowdfunding campaign called "We Build the Wall" that raised over $25 million. The SDNY has also charged the founder of We Build the Wall, Brian Kolfage, with fraud. [18][19], In January 2019, Kolfage posted a message to the GoFundMe page that he had decided that raising money through a nonprofit would be more successful. Wagle supports the building of a federally designed, bid and funded wall while saying Kobach's group undermines federal involvement. We Build the Wall Inc. is a Florida non-profit tax-exempt advocacy organization under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intentionally included in their warrants to arrest the ‘We Build the Wall’ leaders, “lists of donors and/or potential donors” upon arrest. [52] The Texas Tribune and ProPublica also noted that in February IBWC Commissioner Jayne Harkins donated $500 to Trump and a Republican PAC. PO Box 131567 Houston, Texas 77219-1567. According to Kolfage, "We have many people who try to stop us legally with silly attempts, and in the end we always prevail. With this full package the wall is smart and will deter all illegal activity from this area. The People’s Wall is American Strong! [44], In March 2020, IBWC released their 24-page hydraulic analysis, noting the treaty was violated for hydraulic changes but that overall the problems were relatively minor. We believe this data was likely used by the UPSIS recently to spy on conservatives. [37][38][43] In May, after completing a demonstration half-mile wall on private property in Sunland Park, New Mexico, WBtW was accused by local officials of failing to first obtain required work permits. The parties agreed to a detailed inspection of the wall on July 8. The wall itself is very similar to the first project, except for a few changes due to the location. On July 8, 2019, as he stood in front of a "Build the Wall" banner, in Leavenworth, Kansas, Kobach announced his candidacy for the 2020 Kansas U.S. Senate election to replace retiring Senator Pat Roberts, saying, referring to his campaign theme: "I've been on the southern border constantly in the past six months and I can tell you stories that will make your skin crawl." Our barrier system utilizes a multi-tiered high tech system to detect and deter would be illegal aliens from crossing. A professional design firm that specializes in donor recognition wall design and implementation can help you navigate the process to create a meaningful final product. We Build the Wall, a nonprofit organization funding construction of a section of border wall near Sunland Park, N.M., said Thursday that it has 10 other sites picked out for more wall … Americans who donated to the "We Build the Wall" campaign, currently at the center of fraud charges laid against former White House Chief Strategist Steve … ET Donor Walls. We were in the process of selecting the site for our third section of border wall when the SDNY unlawfully froze those assets and stopped our construction efforts. The SDNY actions against We Build the Wall are contrary to law and the Constitution, and we are contesting those actions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. [39] Jeff Allen, owner of the property upon which the wall was constructed, stated, "They are doing an incredible job. That tweet was later deleted. [2] Kolfage announced the formation of a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization in January 2019. WBtW is legally prohibited from financing federal political campaigns in any fashion. [33] Kolfage allegedly took more than $350,000 for his personal use and Bannon over $1 million to cover personal expenses and pay Kolfage, while concealing their use of donor funds by "creating sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes. I have grandparents who immigrated to America legally, they did it the correct way and it’s time we uphold our laws, as we are a nation of laws first and foremost. "[44] Both Sunland Park and WBtW said they were laboring to get the project into compliance. Mark Courtois, a Fisher attorney, called it "a normal part of new construction projects like this" and denied it was serious. Traditionally, donor recognition walls consisted of header lettering with the names of benefactors listed below on engraved brass panels or plaques. "[15] Financier Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea were also charged. He made a 2020 run for the seat of retiring Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, but finished second to Representative Roger Marshall. The next day, Kolfage tweeted video of the gate being constructed. The lawsuit continued, however, as IBWC ran hydraulic modeling. ET Kolfage responded with accusations, in lieu of any evidence, that both Sunland Park and IBWC officials were corrupt and conspiring with Mexican drug cartels. Of course, the USPIS claims this was necessary for their case. [3] By mid-2020, over $25 million had been raised[4][5] and a 3-mile (4.8 km) section of fence had been built.[6]. [44], The order was ignored and work did not stop. [24] Common Cause Vice President of Policy and Litigation Paul S. Ryan said, "At a minimum, this Kobach for Senate fundraising solicitation email appears to violate the 'paid for by' disclaimer requirement" for official campaign communications. The founder of “We Build the Wall” — who was charged Thursday with defrauding donors to the project — was also planning on selling their data, according to a report. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Public Affairs Officer Thomas Gresback said that the wall was privately paid for and on private property, and CBP does not have anything to do with the project. ", "A group raised over $20 million to 'build the wall.' [25][26], On July 23, 2019, Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle of Wichita filed the paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission necessary to run in the race for the vacant Senate seat. “Of course, the USPIS claims this … In truth, KOLFAGE, BANNON, BADOLATO, and SHEA received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall, which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s public representations. This is significantly more mileage than Project 1. And it’s only possible because American’s keep believing in us with their generous donations. [44], On January 9, 2020, a federal judge lifted an injunction, allowing a construction firm to move forward with the 3 mi (4.8 km) project in the floodplain of the Rio Grande River. You can Contact Us here. Contributions or gifts to We Build the Wall are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. A month later, local officials said the necessary permits had yet to be obtained; the city had filed a complaint against landowner on which the wall was constructed. [48], On December 3, 2019, Hidalgo County district judge Randy Crane ordered the group to temporarily halt all construction due to its plans to build in the floodplain the Rio Grande, which a lawyer for the National Butterfly Center argued would create a flooding risk. If you’ll be building a physical donor wall, your planning process should ideally take place more than a year (or at the very least 6 months) before the design work is slated to begin. We Build the Wall has repeatedly fulfilled its commitments to its donors and has built two sections of border wall. If you are sick and tired of watching politicians in both parties obstructing President Trump’s plan to build a wall on our southern border, then you’ve come to the right place. "[40] The fence constructed on Allen's land reportedly cost $6–8 million of the donated funds. Brian Kolfage is a veteran of the United States Air Force and the founder of the organization We Build the Wall, which has started the construction of a privately funded barrier on the U.S.–Mexico border, after raising more than $25 million through GoFundMe donations. Each charge is a felony with maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The SDNY actions against We Build the Wall are contrary to law and the Constitution, and we are contesting those actions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. We believe this data was likely used by the UPSIS recently to spy on conservatives. [44][48], In July, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Paxton Warner told Judge Crane that four areas of erosion needed to be fixed. We believe this data was likely used by the UPSIS recently to spy on conservatives. After neutralizing the threat that Kolfage posed to their operation, the postmen then went after their true target: the We Build the Wall donor lists stored on his computers with the names of millions of conservative supporters. Kolfage, Bannon, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea were all named in the federal indictment and face charges of conspiracy to commit wire … Kolfage has repeatedly changed the date for the beginning of the project under WeBuildTheWall Inc, having told Politico in February 2019 that groundbreaking would be in May or June 2019, then in a March 2019 interview with American Family Radio he claimed the date to be April 2019. Kolfage is a triple amputee, suffering injuries while serving in Iraq with the U.S. Air Force. Kobach's email might be legal if his campaign paid fair market value for use of the list. This project goes to show you how We Build The Walls’ movement to unite Americans who share a common belief in border security has grown into a larger movement of privatized wall builders. This list included millions of conservatives. Though the $350,000 in We Build The Wall funds that prosecutors say Kolfage pocketed was no small sum, brokering a donor list as large as the … While on the fundraiser Kolfage has stated that he has contacted the Trump administration about donating the money, and citizens can mail money as gifts to the United States, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. We Build the Wall, a nonprofit organization funding construction of a section of border wall near Sunland Park, N.M., said Thursday that it has 10 other sites picked out for more wall … By American Patriot News On Aug 21, 2020. In so doing, the SDNY has blocked We Build the Wall vendors from fulfilling its orders and continuing its mission of building border wall on the southern border. My name is Brian Kolfage, I’m a triple-amputee war veteran and founder of We Build The Wall which was born from the viral GoFundme that raised millions of dollars for the wall. A spokesperson confirmed Kobach had spoken to President Trump about the announcement of his candidacy on July 4. The property owner is an 85 year old Vietnam veteran fighter pilot who was forced to live in fear every single day on his property. The builder got $1.7 billion in wall contracts from his administration", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=We_Build_the_Wall&oldid=1021218899, Non-profit organizations based in the United States, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 May 2021, at 15:04. We must stop them at our borders. We Build the Wall Inc. is a Florida non-profit tax-exempt advocacy organization under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. In December 2018, Kolfage started an attempt to raise $1 billion via GoFundMe, initially called We Fund the Wall, for the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico. Brian has pled not guilty and is contesting the charges. The United Constitutional Patriots helped with site visits by We Build the Wall (WBtW) and supplied video that was used in their funding campaign. "[27], Concern has been raised about how the money from the GoFundMe would be distributed after the fundraiser has ended. Contributions or gifts to We Build the Wall are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. The construction also removed vegetation from slopes, increasing erosion risk. According to CNN, shortly after the pardon, Vance subpoenaed Wells Fargo for records related to Bannon's role in We Build the Wall. The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intentionally included in their warrants to arrest the ‘We Build the Wall’ leaders, “lists of donors and/or potential donors” upon arrest. [37][38], The 18-foot (5.5 m) high fencing was intended to close a gap between a 21-mile (34 km) section of existing fencing along the Rio Grande and mountainous terrain which the Border Patrol said was allowing up to 100 illegal immigrants and $100,000 in illegal drugs to enter the US each night. Ryan said, "If the Kobach committee did not pay fair market value for the cost of disseminating this email, then the committee has arguably committed the more serious campaign finance law violation of receiving a corporate contribution in the form of a coordinated expenditure." [45] WBtW and the IBWC eventually resolved their dispute. These ‘We Build the Wall’ donors say they aren’t victims of fraud: ‘I hope I get to donate again’ Published: Aug. 28, 2020 at 10:48 a.m. This is where your donations go, we are saving America one wall at at time. I love my country, and this is a step in protecting my country. Now its supporters want answers", "Man who raised $20 million on GoFundMe defends plans to build his own border wall", "Florida Officials Open Fraud Investigation Of Border Wall Fundraising Effort", "We Build The Wall, the group behind privately funded border wall, under criminal investigation in Florida", "Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon arrested on fraud charges in border wall fundraising scheme", "Steve Bannon Is Charged With Fraud in 'We Build the Wall' Campaign", "Manhattan's DA subpoenaed Steve Bannon's fundraising records as part of a fraud investigation into his border-wall campaign, report says", "Construction on private border wall continues", "Border wall on private land near El Paso lacks necessary permits, local officials say", "First-ever private border wall built in New Mexico", "A private group says it's started building its own border wall using millions donated in GoFundMe campaign", "Vigilantes Helped Steve Bannon's Group With Private Border Wall Near El Paso", "Privately funded border wall near completion in New Mexico", "New Mexico Mayor Orders Group Building Border Wall on Private Land to Stop Construction", We Build the Wall Group Is Under Criminal Investigation, "Officials ordered the GoFundMe border wall's gates to stay open after it was built too close to an important monument", "Eroding Private Border Wall To Get an Engineering Inspection Just Months After Completion", "Right-wing group must stop building private border wall in South Texas, judge says in temporary order", "Private border wall construction continues despite court order", "Judge clears way for construction of private US-Mexico border fence", "It's Finished: Important Update About Where We Go From Here", "Trump rips private Texas border wall built by his supporters", "Trump says he disagreed with privately funded border wall. She criticized Kobach's employment in the controversial privately financed and constructed scheme to build the southern border wall. [35], Bannon (but not his accused accomplices) was pardoned by outgoing president Donald Trump at the end of his presidency, but Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has continued to pursue Bannon under state law. Doing it better, faster, cheaper than anything else and what you guys are doing is pretty amazing. This project was spearheaded by Fisher Industries, and We Build The Wall was a passive investor into the $40 Million project. [17] Within three days, over $9 million had been raised. "[53][54], The 638 acres (2.58 km2) of land the wall was built on is part of farmland that belongs to Neuhaus and Sons, and the wall added over $20 million in taxable land improvement, increasing the tax burden by 75 times. "We don't need some rogue organization going out and building the wall. Brian raised over $20 million in private donations from over 260,000 individuals to build a border wall on the US southern border. Of course, the USPIS claims this was necessary for their case. By early 2019, with donations stalled at $20 million, Kolfage created the nonprofit We Build The Wall Inc. to fund private construction of sections of border wall. "We are literally making a mountain out of a molehill," said attorney Rich Kaye, who represented WBtW, in writing to the IBWC on June 3. [40] Now the General Counsel for the organization, he said, "We do have agility, and speed and determination, and that's what I hope you see on display when you look at this wall."[42]. [51], On February 17, 2020, We Build the Wall announced that Project 2 had been completed. If you would like to contribute to Brian’s fund, We Build The Wall We Build The Wall We Build The Wall We Build The Wall. Even during the court order, Fisher Industries continued to perform preparatory excavation. [29][30], In June 2019, Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees Florida charities soliciting funds from the public, initiated investigations into several complaints, including allegations of questionable use of collected funds, the organization only having one director (Kolfage) on its board of directors instead of the mandatory minimum of three required for a nonprofit organization, and filing false statements about the board. Kobach's involvement with WBtW, which is a 501(c)4 organization, has given cause for concern, as the fundraising and campaign mailing lists it is accumulating are prohibited from coordinating with his Senate campaign, but the ability and appetite for effective oversight within the Trump administration are anticipated to likely be inadequate. Kobach said he was currently unpaid, but might take a paid position with Kolfage's organization. Together, the four men pitched We Build the Wall as a way for Americans worried about border security to do an end run around Congress and construct at least 100 miles of … We Build the Wall has repeatedly fulfilled its commitments to its donors and has built two sections of border wall. Contributions or gifts to We Build the Wall are not tax deductible for IRS purposes. Notice how not a single person has crossed our wall or cut through it! The men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. We Build the Wall is an organization soliciting donations to build private sections of the wall along the Mexico–U.S. "[46], On October 13, 2019, marked the beginning of Project 2 along the Rio Grande in Mission, Texas. The USPIS officers scoured his house and took information from his computers including the list of all the individuals (mostly conservative) who donated to the We Build the Wall project. IBWC officials said the gate needed to be kept open during daytime work hours. In so doing, the SDNY has blocked We Build the Wall vendors from fulfilling its orders and continuing its mission of building border wall on the southern border. Steve Bannon, ‘We Build The Wall’ Organizers Arrested, Charged With Defrauding Donors Public statements that 100% of the money would be put toward the wall were false, prosecutors say. It stretches just under a mile and has stopped 100% of illegal crossings. We have been promised border security and immigration overhaul for over 30 years. WeBuildtheWall, Inc. Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society. This location is a hot bed for illegal drug activity and cartels smuggling human cargo. [28], Other concerns about the use of donations, were raised in 2019 by backers and others who became concerned about the reported clandestine operations and assurances of progress without physical backing of land being purchased or structures being built. Plan and establish a budget. Prosecutors Arrest ‘We Build the Wall’ Leaders for Convincing Donors They Weren’t Taking Cash Brian Kolfage, Steve Bannon, and others are accused of scheming to defraud donors … [50], IBWC noted to Judge Crane that WBtW didn't supply the hydraulic models necessary for construction along the banks of the river, only providing a six-page analysis. I take the security of the American people very seriously which is how I find myself building wall on the southern border. Easy Update Donor Walls; Permanent Donor Walls; Memorial & Honor Plaques. [20], By January 2019, former Kansas Secretary of State and anti-Illegal immigration activist Kris Kobach had joined Kolfage's advisory board. If you ordered merchandise or wall chunks from We Build the Wall vendors and did not receive your order, it is because the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Southern District of New York (SDNY) obtained a court order freezing the bank accounts of We Build the Wall and some of its vendors in August 2020. I have fought illegals on this property for six years. In an email to the Washington Post, Kolfage stated that he began the fundraiser as "political games from both parties" have been holding back funding for the wall. There’s no need for the anti-climb plates as the wall itself is coated to be slippery with sweaty hands or a wet body after coming across the Rio Grande. [3] GoFundMe however issued a statement after Kolfage's statement that it would give refunds unless the donor chose to opt into the change to where the donations would go. This list included millions of conservatives. Share. Americans who donated to the "We Build the Wall" campaign, currently at the center of fraud charges laid against former White House Chief Strategist Steve … US Border Patrol Agents praise the high tech system as the most advanced border wall on the entire US Border which also goes up a whopping 31% grade. "[21] As the money Kolfage is accumulating is going to a 501(c)4, it could all be spent as "dark money" in political campaigns, with next to no public reporting of expenditures required.[19][22]. He has also cited the 2012 Washington Monument restoration project in which a philanthropist billionaire matched donations to restore the monument after the 2011 East Coast earthquake. Our first completed border wall project was built in Sunland Park, New Mexico just outside of El Paso, Texas on June 3, 2019. 1. The attorney for the Butterfly Center said the erosion is "massive", and "You can see the erosion actually made a hole under the wall." It started from a grassroots effort and it's doing some wonderful things for an important issue", "They did this wall beautifully, it's just incredible", "From Border Patrol agents' standpoints, those who I represent, we have to have the support of the American public in order to secure the border, and that's why we're so grateful for 'We Build The Wall", "Don and I wanted to come down and see what's going on here and it's really impressive at what you've been able to accomplish", "People can't appreciate how beautiful this wall is until they come and see it for themselves". Kolfage said the target figure was achievable, adding "This won't be easy, but it's our duty as citizens". Kolfage stated it was "designed for floods", but engineers and hydrologists raised concerns, noting that the IBWC model was incorrect. We The People are coming together to build segments of Border wall on private property, in order to supplement President Trump’s plan and to maximize security on our southern border. The website indicated that projects 2 and 3 were at 67% of their fundraising goals and could include up to 35 additional miles (56 km). [47] Fisher called it the "Lamborghini" of walls, versus the government's "horse and buggy" design. At first, when We Build The Wall hosted a flashy event on May 30, 2019 near the U.S.-Mexican border, the Department of Homeland Security had no interest in participating. [17] It is not clear if the Department of Homeland Security can accept gifts, and if the money is accepted it would still go into a general fund that must be allocated by Congress. Kolfage, who lost both legs and an arm in a 2004 rocket attack in Iraq, founded We Build The Wall Inc. in 2019 to use private donations to construct sections of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The founder of “We Build the Wall” — who was charged Thursday with defrauding donors to the project — was also planning on selling their data, according to a report. The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intentionally included in their warrants to arrest the ‘We Build the Wall’ leaders, “lists of donors and/or potential donors” upon arrest. By early 2019, with donations stalled at $20 million, Kolfage created the nonprofit We Build The Wall Inc. to fund private construction of sections of border wall. ", "Leaders Of 'We Build The Wall' Online Fundraising Campaign Charged With Defrauding Hundreds Of Thousands Of Donors", "Trump supporters angry at his 'retreat' on border wall", "A triple-amputee military vet's GoFundMe has raised more than $13 million for Trump's border wall", "GoFundMe campaign to 'fund the wall' blows past $9 million in three days", "What Are Steve Bannon, Kris Kobach and Co. up to at the Arizona-Mexico Border?