Southern Border Wall to be Painted Black by Trump to Make It Hotter and Harder to Climb, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Says
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the entire southern border wall will be painted black in a bid to make it dangerously hot to climb under direct sunlight. Noem said that the project was initiated at the direct request of Donald Trump, who marked the occasion by celebrating “ZERO releases” of illegal migrants into the US.
“It’s tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost impossible. It also goes deep into the ground, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to dig under. And today we are also going to be painting it black,” the DHS Secretary said of the steel structure behind her.
Making Illegal Entry Difficult
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Noem shared her plans at a press conference held in front of a section of the barrier in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. “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 continued.
“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,” she added.
Noem explained that the black paint would also protect the steel wall from rusting.
She added that new technology, such as cameras and sensors, will be installed to further deter illegal crossings, which have dropped to historic lows under Trump. The total cost of the painting project has not yet been determined.
With a Broad Vision
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A total of $46.5 billion was allocated for border wall construction in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with the White House estimating that the funds would cover an additional 700 miles of wall along the 2,000-mile U.S.–Mexico boundary of land and water.
“With the OBBB we will be able to finish the border wall system started under President Trump’s first term. Due to an active procurement process to finish the wall it would be irresponsible to the American taxpayer to release the numbers as it may impact future bids,” a DHS spokesperson said when asked about the price tag.
In his first term, Trump was said to favor border wall prototypes featuring bollards painted “flat black” to absorb heat and make them too hot to handle.
He also reportedly suggested to officials and engineers that the wall should include sharp spikes on top to give it a more threatening appearance.
