Border Wall Will Be Painted Black to Make It Harder for People to Climb

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Tuesday that the U.S. southern border wall will be painted black under President Donald Trump’s direction.

Officials say the change is designed to make the wall hotter to the touch and harder to climb.

“Now, if you look at the structure that’s behind me, it’s tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost impossible. It also goes deep into the ground, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to dig under,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a press briefing in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

“We are also going to be painting it black. 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,” Noem added.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the entire southern border wall will be painted black, so it will get hot in the sun and “make it even harder for people to climb.”

“That is specifically at the request of the president.” https://t.co/fDAt90dmk6 pic.twitter.com/rZZZhZ3SVx

— ABC News (@ABC) August 19, 2025

“One Big, Beautiful Bill” Funds Wall Upgrades

Noem said the repainting, along with new cameras, sensors, and monitoring technology, is being funded through the immigration enforcement package known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

The effort, she added, is meant to discourage illegal crossings and push migrants toward legal entry.

“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,” she said.

Trump’s Earlier Ideas Revived

The black paint proposal reflects upgrades Trump had sought during his first term. In 2019, The Washington Post reported that Trump suggested painting the wall black to make it hotter to touch and even floated adding spikes as a deterrent.