Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the U.S.-Mexico border wall will be painted black at the specific request of former President Donald Trump.

The black paint is intended to make the border wall even more difficult to climb, especially in hot weather, by increasing the temperature of the steel structure.

The big picture: This decision revives Trump’s original border wall design plan from his first presidency, when some sections of the wall in Calexico, California, were painted black before the practice was halted to speed construction. • The current administration is reinstating the black paint strategy as border crossings have significantly decreased. • Funding for the border wall’s completion includes $4.65 billion allocated in a Trump-backed funding bill. • N

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