The Trump administration will paint the entire barrier along the U.S.–Mexico frontier black, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday, calling the change a direct request from President Donald Trump intended to strengthen the wall’s deterrent effect against illegal crossings. At a press conference in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Noem told reporters the darker paint will absorb desert heat, making the 18- to 30-foot steel bollards “even harder for people to climb.” U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks added that the coating should also slow rust and extend the structure’s lifespan. Crews are erecting roughly half a mile of new wall each day, according to Noem. The repainting, additional cameras, sensors and planned water-borne barriers will be financed from the nearly US$46.5 billion for border infrastructure included in the budget bill Congress passed in July. DHS has not disclosed the separate cost or timetable for the painting project. The announcement comes as southwest border apprehensions have fallen sharply. Interim El Paso Sector Chief Walter Slosar said agents now detain an average of 41 people a day, down from about 2,300 in 2023. Painting the wall black is the latest element of Trump’s second-term immigration strategy, which continues to place finishing and fortifying the border barrier at the center of U.S. enforcement efforts.