Trump orders wall on the border with Mexico to be painted black

President of the United States Donald Trump has ordered to paint the wall on the border with Mexico black so that the metal heats up under the sun and migrants cannot cross it. This was reported by the agency Bloomberg with reference to US Secretary of Homeland Security Christie Noem.

Speaking near the border in New Mexico on Tuesday, Noem said workers had begun painting sections of the 30-foot steel posts that make up the fences.

She added that the order came directly from Trump, as the dark paint is expected to extend the life of the steel by slowing down the rusting process and discourage migrants from climbing the wall, making it unbearably hot in the desert sun.

"We are going to paint the entire border wall black," Noem said.

When asked about criticism that this practice could make conditions for migrants more difficult, she replied: "Don't touch it. People have a choice".

Noem did not say how much the project would cost or how long it would take. She applied the paint to a small section of the fence herself during a press appearance in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

The secretary's visit comes as arrests at the southwest border have skyrocketed to levels not seen in decades as the administration has stepped up enforcement. The CBP One mobile app, which previously served as the primary way for migrants to make appointments to cross the border and seek asylum, was also shut down.

The media outlet recalled that last month, Congress approved a budget bill that allocates nearly $47 billion to continue construction and maintenance of the border wall, giving the administration a new source of funding to implement Trump's plans.

• On February 4, 2025, it became known that Mexico deploys there are 10,000 National Guard soldiers on the border with the United States.
• In March, the head of the Pentagon ordered the deployment of about 3,000 troops to the southern border, including soldiers of a mechanized brigade equipped with Stryker armored combat vehicles.