Trump Proposes Painting Border Wall Black to Deter Climbers with Heat

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that President Trump wants the U.S.-Mexico border wall to be painted black so that it would be too hot for migrants to climb over. 

Additionally, Noem said the administration is planning to install more "waterborne infrastructure" along the Rio Grande, which makes up more than half of the border between the two countries.

“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. And today, 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 said during a press conference in Santa Teresa, N.M.

Donald Trump's proposal to paint the border wall black has raised concerns about its potential impact on migrants attempting to cross the border. The plan involves applying a "flat black" paint to absorb heat in the summer, making the metal surface too hot to climb. This proposal is part of a broader effort to enhance border security, which also includes installing spikes on the wall to deter crossing attempts.

The number of migrant deaths along the US-Mexico border is a pressing concern, with thousands losing their lives attempting to cross each year. According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), since 1998, at least 8,000 undocumented migrants have died trying to cross the border from Mexico to the US.