Section of Trump’s border wall to get new paint

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Military troops this week will begin painting a stretch of fence as part of a deployment to secure the border.

The government says the goal of painting the fence is to “improve the aesthetic appearance,” but believes the color will also make it easier to detect migrants in the desert.

Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Pitones said troops on Friday will begin painting a one-mile section near Calexico, California, about 120 miles east of San Diego. The wall there has 30-foot-high rust-colored steel slats that were erected last year — the first border barriers built under Trump’s presidency. Pitones declined to say which color they would be painted.

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin called the wall-painting a “disgraceful misuse” of taxpayer money.