President Donald Trump has requested that the entire southern border wall be painted black, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday.
During a press conference in New Mexico, Noem confirmed Trump himself made the request.
“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, making it even harder for people to climb,” Noem told reporters.
In addition to making it hot to the touch during the region’s high temperatures, the black paint protects the steel structure from rust, according to Noem.
“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, 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.
Other new deterrents that will be added to the border wall are new technology, cameras, and sensors, Noem said.
The new measures are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on illegal immigration.
“A nation without borders is no nation at all,” Noem said. “We’re so thankful we have a president that understands that and understands that a secure border is important to our country’s future.”
Data from July 2025 shows that illegal crossings have collapsed to all-time lows, according to Noem.
Apprehensions along the southwest border for the entire month of July were lower than the daily average under the previous administration.
This is also the third consecutive month with zero U.S. Border Patrol releases into the interior, according to DHS.
Building the southern border wall was a central focus of the president’s immigration policy during his first White House term. The president, in his second term, has focused more on mass deportations as part of his sweeping illegal immigration crackdown.
Funds for Border Security
A sum of $46.5 billion has been allocated in Trump’s funding bill, known as the Big Beautiful Bill, to complete construction of the border wall. Trump’s signature legislation also dedicates $4.1 billion to hire additional CBP personnel, including 3,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents. Additionally, it covers $3.2 billion for new technology and $2.7 billion for new cutting-edge border surveillance.
Democrats have largely opposed Trump’s massive crackdown on illegal immigration, arguing that the arrests by ICE agents are unconstitutional and that individuals are being wrongfully targeted in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
