It's Deadline Day for Bids on Trump's 'Big Beautiful Wall'

WASHINGTON -- Proposals for President Donald Trump's promised "big, beautiful wall" along the United States and Mexico border are due Tuesday.

Hundreds of companies responded to the Department of Homeland Security's request for bids to construct a barrier along the near 2,000-mile long southern U.S. border.    

But potential bidders are preparing for the worst if they're selected for the coveted project, asking questions like - will authorities will rush to help workers if they come under potential "hostile attack"?

According to the solicitation, winning bidders must submit a security plan with "fall-back positions, evacuation routines and methods, muster area, medical staff members/availability, number of security personnel, qualifications, years of experience, etc. in the event of a hostile attack."

Some hopeful contractors, like The Penna Group LLC of Fort Worth, Texas, have said they've received death threats since publically expressing interest in bidding.

"We didn't enter this lightly," Michael Evangelista-Ysasaga, CEO of The Penna Group, told AP. "We looked at it and said we have to be a productive part of the solution."

Evangelista-Ysasaga says part of the reason he bid is because he wants broad immigration reform, and he thinks securing the border is a prerequisite for creating a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants currently living in America.

AP reports that a U.S. official with knowledge of the plans says they expect to select four to 10 bidders to build prototypes before granting the contract.

CBN News spoke with Congressman Scott Taylor, R-Va., a member of the House Appropriations Committee, who visited four sections of the border last weekend in San Diego,California; El Paso, Texas; Tuscon, Arizona; and West Texas. 

"Each one of them has unique challenges in terms of people, technology or infrastructure," Taylor told CBN News.

"I think the 'big beautiful wall' makes sense for some places," continued Taylor. "But there are certainly some areas that need more technology and surveillance because of the mountainous terrain."