Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed off on a massive border wall contract for a Texas construction company previously accused in court of smuggling migrants into the United States and arming them “to take part in a wild shootout,” according to the Daily Beast.
From Intersteller News, Substack – here is an extract from a long piece on the above topic:
The founders of SLSCO Ltd. — the Sullivan brothers — have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican political campaigns and causes. (The Daily Beast)
In American politics, that alone is not unusual.
Corporate political donations are common across industries.
Defense contractors donate to politicians who oversee military spending.
Energy companies donate to lawmakers who regulate drilling.
Construction companies donate to politicians who fund infrastructure.
The border wall economy follows the same pattern.
Companies seeking government contracts often support political leaders whose policies create those contracts.
Critics argue this creates a feedback loop.
Policy creates money.
Money flows back into politics.
Politics produces more policy.
In this ecosystem, immigration enforcement is not just a policy question.
It becomes an industry.
Here is the strange paradox at the heart of the story.
On one hand, the Trump administration’s immigration agenda has emphasized strict border enforcement.
Officials have repeatedly argued that human smuggling is one of the most dangerous criminal enterprises along the southern border.
In fact, the Department of Homeland Security has described smuggling networks as responsible for thousands of deaths and billions in illegal profits. (The Daily Signal)
Yet the company accused of participating in smuggling practices was still eligible to receive major federal contracts.
Supporters of the administration argue the allegations were never proven in court.
Critics argue the government should apply stricter scrutiny to contractors working on sensitive national security projects.
The disagreement reflects a broader divide in American politics.
How much evidence is enough to disqualify a contractor?
And how much risk is acceptable when billions of taxpayer dollars are involved?
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
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