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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the U.S. will paint the entire border wall along the southern border black, saying the move will make the steel structure hotter under the desert sun and harder to climb.
Speaking during a visit to a stretch of the wall in New Mexico, Noem credited President Donald Trump with the idea. She picked up a roller brush herself, adding a coat of paint while cameras rolled.
“That is specifically at the request of the president, who understands that in the hot temperatures down here when something is painted black it gets even warmer and it will make it even harder for people to climb,” Noem said. “So we are going to be painting the entire southern border wall black to make sure that we encourage individuals to not come into our country illegally.”
Border officials back the move
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, who joined Noem at the event, said the paint would also help preserve the barrier by deterring rust and corrosion.
The wall — a centerpiece of Trump’s first-term immigration agenda — has regained prominence in his second term, even as the administration has shifted more attention to mass deportations and interior enforcement.
Congress this summer approved roughly $46 billion in new border funding, including money to finish the wall. Noem said DHS crews are adding about a half-mile of new barrier every day.
Different approaches for different terrain
Noem emphasized that the design of the wall depends heavily on geography. “The border wall will look very different based on the topography and the geography of where it is built,” she said.
She also revealed that DHS is working on “water-borne infrastructure” to secure stretches of the border that run along the Rio Grande River in Texas.
Crossings decline as wall expands
The decision to paint the wall comes at a time when illegal border crossings have fallen significantly, according to DHS figures. Noem argued that the expanded barrier, combined with tougher interior enforcement, is a major reason for the decline.
“The wall is high, the wall is deep, and with this new step, it will be hotter too,” she said.
