Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the U.S.-Mexico border wall is being painted black, a directive she said came straight from President Donald Trump. The move, she explained, is meant to make the steel structure more difficult to climb by absorbing heat in the desert sun.
“That is specifically at the request of the president,” Noem told reporters gathered near a newly built section of the wall in New Mexico. Picking up a roller herself, she demonstrated the process by painting a stretch of the 30-foot-tall bollards. “When something is painted black, it gets even warmer, making it even harder for people to climb,” she said.
Noem mentioned that last point multiple times, reminding her audience that the hotter the surface of the wall the harder it will be to climb. “When you touch something that is hot, it is very difficult to climb,” she said. The secretary also highlighted new technology—cameras, sensors, and surveillance systems—which will be added to the wall to help border authorities.
The border wall wasn’t the only stop in the area. Noem also paid a visit to flood-ravaged Ruidoso, New Mexico. In Santa Teresa, she appeared alongside Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks to tout the president for closing the U.S. border to illegal immigration. “President Trump has done exactly that,” she said. “Now we have the most secure border we have had in the history of this nation.”
Border Patrol data does show a significant drop in crossings in the El Paso Sector, which includes all of New Mexico. Apprehensions are currently averaging 41 per day, compared with as many as 2,300 in a single day during a surge in 2023.
The decision to paint the wall black is already proving to be devisive. Fernando Garcia, who leads the Border Network for Human Rights, said that the new coat of paint shows just how little regard the current administration has for the lives of migrants. “This shows the extent of the dehumanization of migrants, not just in terms of policy but among those that direct that policy,” Garcia said. “They aren’t worried about the well-being or the life of people. Everyone crossing the border has rights, has dignity. Those expressions hurt and dismiss the humanity of people.”
Critics also point to the human toll in the desert. Hundreds of migrants have died in recent years attempting to cross treacherous stretches of terrain, often falling from the wall or succumbing to extreme conditions.
Noem acknowledged the need for expanded detention facilities in Texas and Florida but insisted the ultimate goal is removal. “My goal is not to build hundreds of thousands of beds. My goal is to remove people here illegally,” she said. According to her figures, 1.6 million migrants have “self-deported” since Trump returned to office in January.
Whether painting the wall black will deter crossings—or simply inflame an already heated debate—remains an open question.
