Donald Trump’s dream project hits a massive roadblock, and his own team can’t agree on who’s responsible

President Donald Trump‘s border wall project might be facing a major delay, and officials say the problem is coming from the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is being blamed for the holdup because she requires personal approval for every major contract. This policy is reportedly stalling nearly 200 miles of important construction work.

According to The Washington Examiner, a Customs and Border Protection memo shows the scale of the issue. Contracts for 102 miles of new wall, over 90 miles of barriers along the Rio Grande, and two miles of fencing are ready to move forward. However, these deals are waiting for the Secretary’s approval before they can be officially awarded.

The problem started with a policy Noem created last year that requires her personal approval on any DHS contract worth $100,000 or more. Four senior federal sources say this policy is why one of President Trump’s biggest projects has been delayed. Given how many contractors DHS uses for everything from basic supplies to patrol boats, that creates an enormous amount of paperwork for her desk.

The bottleneck created by excessive oversight is slowing critical infrastructure

The policy requiring personal approval for every contract over $100,000 might sound like good accountability. But the number of these contracts within the Department of Homeland Security is huge. These range from small infrastructure repairs to massive multi-million dollar construction deals. When every single one needs a personal signature, it creates a major bottleneck.

One federal official expressed the frustration clearly, stating: “She has required all contracts over 100K be signed off by her. I don’t think she fully understands how many 100K contracts DHS has. It has slowed several things down.” This creates administrative gridlock and hurts efficiency, especially when time matters. Noem’s controversial decisions have already drawn significant criticism, including her recent conflict with Alex Pretti.

However, DHS is strongly denying these claims and says the Secretary is not causing the border wall delay. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called the accusations wrong. McLaughlin stated that the “premise of your story is inaccurate because wall contracts don’t even follow the $100k process.” She confirmed there are currently no border wall contracts on Secretary Noem’s desk waiting for review.

McLaughlin explained that funding for the Texas section comes through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Since that funding doesn’t fall under Noem’s general contract review policy, it doesn’t need her personal signature. This suggests a disconnect between what Customs and Border Protection teams think is happening and what DHS headquarters says is the reality.

This isn’t the first time Noem’s contract review policy has caused problems. Last summer, she faced criticism after deadly floods hit Texas. Reports suggested her policy created major administrative delays in sending essential FEMA crews. 

Her mounting controversies have even led to impeachment articles being filed against her. Despite the current controversy, CBP has already finished construction on 29.5 miles of border wall during President Trump’s second term. If all planned construction under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is completed, physical barriers will cover more than 1,400 miles of the border.