A group that previously raised millions of dollars in a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to have a wall built at the U.S. southern border said that the construction of the barrier has started and that the first section has already been erected.
The group said it has completed a half-mile of the wall, which they intend to fund privately and build on private property. According to organizers with the group, We Build the Wall, they used steel bollards to close a gap in existing border fencing near the state line between Texas and Arizona, which cost almost $8 million.
“We’re closing a gap that’s been a big headache” for the Border Patrol, said Kris Kobach, the former Kansas Secretary of State and the group’s general counsel.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who is now chairman of the group’s advisory board, said that Border Patrol had informed them that was the most important stretch of land to close off.
The campaign was initiated last December by Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage and raised over $20 million to help President Donald Trump’s effort to have a border wall constructed between the U.S. and Mexico. At the time, Kolfage promised that if the fundraiser failed to reach the goal of $1 billion, he would refund the money. GoFundMe later said that unless donors themselves want to be refunded, they can choose to have their donation redirected to the new organization.
“If a donor does not want a refund, and they want their donation to go to the new organization, they must proactively elect to redirect their donation to that organization,” said a GoFundMe person. “If they do not take that step, they will automatically receive a full refund.”
On Monday, Kolfage posted a video unveiling the portion of the barrier the group had built.
“The people’s wall is unveiled! The first segment is nearly complete!! DONATE NOW to help fund more walls! “ said the tweet, accompanying the video.
The news of the unveiling comes only days after President Trump’s attempts to use billions in Defense Department funds to build the barrier were blocked by a federal judge, CNN reports.
Over the weekend, the group also posted photos on Facebook showing the construction of the wall, writing, “Buckle up, we’re just getting started!”
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