Trump orders black paint for border wall to deter migrants by making it too hot to touch
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Speaking near the border in New Mexico on Tuesday, Noem said crews have begun painting sections of the 9-metre (30-foot) steel bollards that make up the barriers. She said the directive came directly from Trump, under the expectation that the dark paint will extend the steel's lifespan by slowing rust and discourage migrants from climbing the wall by making it unbearably hot under the desert sun.
'We are going to be painting the entire border wall black,' Noem told reporters. Asked about criticism that the practice could make conditions harsher for migrants, she responded: 'Don't touch it. People have a choice.'
Noem did not say how much the project will cost or how long it will take. She applied paint herself to a small section of a fence during the media appearance in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
Noem's visit came as arrests at the southwest border have plunged to levels not seen in decades, as the administration enacts stricter enforcement measures. It has also shut down the CBP One mobile app that had previously been a key way for migrants to schedule appointments to cross the border and seek asylum.
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Walter Slosar, the interim chief patrol agent in the El Paso sector, covering far West Texas and all of New Mexico, said the current seven-day arrest average is about 41 a day, with an additional nine migrants crossing daily without being stopped. A year ago, the average was closer to 400 a day and it was roughly 2,300 in 2023.
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