The U.S.-Mexico border wall is about to get a makeover. And no, it’s not a graffiti clean-up. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has confirmed that the wall will be painted black, at the request of President Donald Trump himself.
Speaking at a press conference in New Mexico this week, Noem explained (via The Independent): “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. 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 even grabbed a roller brush and helped slap on some paint for the cameras.
The idea? Make the steel hotter in the blistering desert sun so it’s even harder to climb.
Trump, meanwhile, was celebrating what he called “the lowest recorded border numbers in U.S. history.” Posting on Truth Social, he wrote: “CONGRATULATIONS TEXAS! The July Border Statistics are in and, once again, they are the LOWEST RECORDED NUMBERS IN UNITED STATES HISTORY. The U.S. Border Patrol reported ZERO releases of Illegal Aliens into the Country.”
According to Homeland Security, fewer than 25,000 encounters were reported nationwide in July, nearly 90% lower than the monthly average under Biden.
Still, the administration isn’t easing up on its hardline immigration policies. ICE raids are ongoing, and ad campaigns fronted by Noem warn: “If you come to our country and you break our laws, we will hunt you down.”
At the presser, Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks backed the paint job too, claiming it could also help deter rust; though the Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t say how much the massive paint bill will actually cost taxpayers, according to BBC News. A spokesperson only pointed to Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB), signed in July, which allocates roughly $46 billion to finish the wall system.
Construction hasn’t stopped either. Noem says crews are adding about half a mile of barrier every day, with adjustments depending on the terrain; including stretches along the Rio Grande where “water-borne infrastructure” is being worked on. Cameras, sensors, and other tech upgrades are also promised as part of the expansion.
For Trump, the wall was the signature promise of his first term, and now in his second, he’s doubling down with mass deportations and a renewed focus on sealing the border.
Noem put it bluntly: “A nation without borders is no nation at all. We’re so thankful we have a president that understands that a secure border is important to our country’s future.”
Not everyone’s buying it, though. California Governor Gavin Newsom took a jab online, writing: “Forget the southern border, the strongest wall Trump’s ever built is his bronzer line.”
So, while the wall gets its all-black makeover in the desert heat, the debate around immigration in America remains as fiery as ever.