US Plans To Paint Mexico Border Wall Black To Deter Illegal Migrants

US President Donald Trump plans to have the US-Mexico border wall painted black to deter illegal immigration, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said. 

The move, she explained, is intended to make the steel wall absorb more heat, making it hotter and more difficult for migrants to climb, according to The New York Post. 

Speaking at a press conference in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Ms Noem said the black paint would cover roughly 700 miles of the existing wall, which the administration also plans to expand.

She cited the wall's depth and height as strategies to deter anyone from trying to cross or get beneath it.

"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," said Ms Noem regarding the black steel structure, adding, "And today we are also going to be painting it black."

The idea to paint the wall black came directly from the US President, she said.

In the hot southern climate, the black paint would make the metal surface much warmer, making it harder for migrants to climb, she said, according to CBS News.

"So we are going to be painting the entire southern border wall black to make sure that we encourage individuals not to come into our country illegally," she added. It will help keep the steel framework from rusting, Ms Noem.

The authorities are also planning to introduce cameras and sensors along the border to monitor the movement and to detect unusual activity such as climbing or digging, she said.

She further highlighted that the department was also working on water-borne infrastructure to extend stretches of the US-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River in Texas. 

Only 6,000 migrants were caught along the southern border in June, the lowest in decades, as compared to the Biden administration, when border arrests sometimes peaked at more than 6,000 in a single day, she claimed.