Noem says border wall will be painted black to deter illegal immigration

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday told reporters that President Donald Trump has ordered the entire southern border wall to be painted black to help boost the wall as a deterrent to illegal immigration.

Noem made the announcement in front of a portion of the border wall in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and said it was because the black coloring will boost the lifespan of the metal and because it would get so hot the wall would be hard to climb.

The announcement comes after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received a flood of funding and resources from the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that Congress passed last month. Construction of the wall is already underway at a pace of about half a mile a day, Noem said, per Fox News.

"If you look at the structure that's behind me, it's tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost impossible," Noem said. "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. 

"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, to not break our federal laws, but that they will abide and come to our country the right way so that they can stay and have the opportunity to become United States citizens and pursue the American dream," she added.

Noem also said the Trump administration will be working on a wall on the northern border, and will invest in technology, cameras, sensors and waterborne infrastructure to ensure the border "will be secure far into the future" and "efficient."

"Remember that a nation without borders is no nation at all," the secretary said. "We're so thankful that we have a president that understands that and understands that a secure border is important to our country's future."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.