DHS Secretary Announces Entire Southern Border Wall to Be Painted Black in Effort to Deter Crossings

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed Tuesday that the U.S. will begin painting the entire southern border wall black — a move she says is designed to make the steel hotter and more difficult to climb. The idea, she added, came directly from President Trump.

Noem made the announcement during a stop at a stretch of the wall in New Mexico, where she rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a paint roller to personally help with the job. As she praised the wall’s massive scale — both in height and depth — Noem explained that the new black coating is meant to add an extra layer of deterrence.

“This is specifically at the request of the president,” Noem said. “He knows that in this kind of heat, painting the wall black will make it even hotter, and that will make climbing far more difficult. So the plan is to paint the entire border wall black as part of our effort to discourage illegal entry into the United States.”

Standing alongside her, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks noted that the fresh coat of paint serves another purpose as well — it will help protect the steel from rust and extend the wall’s lifespan.

The wall has long been a centerpiece of Trump’s immigration agenda. During his first term, construction dominated headlines. In his second, the focus shifted to mass deportations and increased arrests within U.S. communities. But with Congress approving $46 billion in new funding this summer, Homeland Security is now accelerating construction again, aiming to finally complete the long-promised barrier.

According to Noem, crews are currently building half a mile of barrier every single day. She emphasized that the wall is not a one-size-fits-all project: its design changes depending on the terrain and geography, with different structures rising from Arizona’s deserts to Texas’s riverbanks.

She also highlighted new efforts to extend the system into the water, pointing out that much of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border runs along the Rio Grande River. “We are working on water-borne infrastructure as well, because the river is such a significant part of the border,” she said.

The administration’s push comes at a time when illegal border crossings have already dropped dramatically, yet officials remain committed to finishing the wall and reinforcing it with this new, heat-intensifying layer of paint.