Kristi Noem spoke about the precautions the Trump administration is taking to make the US-Mexico border “harder to climb.” The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security also revealed how the request came from Donald Trump.
Trump and Noem, who have proven to take extreme approaches to keep immigrants out, have come up with another precautionary measure for the same. Noem, who visited the border on Tuesday, shared that the President has plans to paint it black.
The 30-foot steel border, if painted black, will heat up rapidly in the sun, making it difficult to climb. Noem revealed the details of the same in a conversation with reporters. “Today, we are also going to be painting it black, that is specifically at the request of the President,” she began.
The DHS Secretary went on to note how Trump has the realization that the already hot temperatures at the border will make the steel border heat up. The same will make it “even harder for people to climb” over.
She detailed the plan of painting the entire southern border black, which would ensure and “encourage individuals to not come into our country illegally, to not break our federal law.” Noem noted how the same will encourage immigrants to abide by the federal laws to enter the United States.
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
The 53-year-old also expressed how she hopes painting the border black will encourage immigrants to cross over the “right way.” She pointed out how that’s the only way for these immigrants to “have the opportunity to become United States citizens and pursue the American dream.”
Noem went on to thank President Trump for being someone who understands how important it is to have a secure border. She also noted that the US-Mexico border being very tall makes it difficult and “almost impossible” to climb it. The DHS Secretary shared that workers had already begun working on painting sections of the steel border.
Members of the press also asked Noem about her thoughts on the criticism that would come the administration’s way for inflicting the harsh conditions on immigrants. “Don’t touch it. People have a choice,” she added.
We are standing by for a news conference from @DHSgov Secretary Kristi Noem along the border in Santa Teresa, #NewMexico. @Sec_Noem expected to discuss the new border wall construction that is happening in this area and the billions of dollars in new infrastructure coming soon. pic.twitter.com/P29lTka1ny
— Robert Holguin (@RobertKFOX14) August 19, 2025
The DHS Secretary did not get into the logistics of the project. She did not reveal how long completing the project will take, nor how much it would cost the government.
The number of daily arrests made at the Southern border has reached an all-time low. Interim Chief Patrol Agent in the El Paso Sector, Walter Slosar, revealed that the seven-day average when it comes to border crossings is 41 per day. A year ago, the number for the same was 400. A year before that, in 2023, approximately 2,300 immigrants crossed over.
