type: timeline_event
A $915 million contract awarded to Salus Worldwide Solutions for 'self-deportation' services faces legal challenge for lacking transparency and following unlawful procurement procedures. The firm has connections to senior DHS officials, and bids were restricted to select companies for only two days. The Project on Government Oversight challenged the contract as secretive and potentially illegal, noting the rushed timeline and limited bidder pool suggest favoritism toward a politically connected contractor. This represents systematic corruption in federal contracting, with nearly $1 billion in taxpayer funds awarded through opaque processes to firms with insider connections.