DHS Confirms Southern Border Wall Will Be Painted Black Amid $46 Billion Funding

The Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to paint the entire southern border wall black, a measure championed by President Trump and announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem stated that painting the steel barriers black would make them hotter in the region's high temperatures, thereby making it more difficult for people to climb over the wall, an idea specifically requested by President Trump. The black paint will also help prevent rusting, according to U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks. This initiative is part of a larger $46.5 billion funding package allocated in the Republicans' domestic policy bill for an integrated border barrier system, including the construction of hundreds of miles of barriers. Critics and some officials have expressed skepticism, noting that the Trump administration had previously tried painting sections of the wall black in 2020 with little effect, and some view the project as a costly effort with questionable operational benefits. Despite mixed opinions, the administration emphasizes the height and depth of the barriers, along with the new paint, as deterrents to illegal immigration.