Abbott has said he will use the emergency declaration to fund and construct a border barrier in the state, which Luca said is the only thing unusual about the project compared to any other job the Facilities Commission undertakes. The commission said on its timeline that it would remain “transparent and compliant with state competitive bidding standards.”
Also unusual for such government projects is that it will be partly paid for via a crowdfunding campaign that asks citizens to donate money to the construction of the border wall. The Texas Tribune reported that the campaign received more than $459,000 in the week it was announced, on top of $250 million allocated by the state government for wall construction.
