Ron Vitiello, a seasoned Border Patrol leader turned senior adviser, told audiences on national television that the border is far safer today than at any point in recent memory — and he’s right to say it plainly. After years of watching Washington play politics while our frontier became a revolving door for cartels and criminals, it’s refreshing to hear a front-line professional acknowledge real progress. Vitiello’s blunt assessment reflects what Americans on the ground are seeing: policy finally aligned with enforcement instead of excuses.
The government’s own numbers back up that plainspoken assessment: CBP and DHS announced record-low nationwide encounters and historic lows in southwest border apprehensions this summer, with June 2025 marking one of the smallest monthly tallies in agency history. Those are not political talking points; they are operational facts recorded by the agencies whose job it is to defend our borders. When the Border Patrol reports fewer gotaways, fewer daily apprehensions, and — crucially — zero releases into the interior for consecutive months, that is evidence of policy working and deterrence taking hold.
Let’s give credit where credit is due: ending catch-and-release, restoring tough consequences for illegal entry, and using the full weight of interagency cooperation have changed the incentives for migrants and smugglers alike. DHS has highlighted the combination of personnel, technology, and policy changes that produced those declines, and senior enforcement officials have said the difference is night and day. This is what conservative governance looks like — prioritized security, empowered agents, and decisions made in the interest of citizen safety rather than political optics.
To be clear, Americans remember what the border looked like before these reforms: millions of encounters, widespread gotaways, and sanctuary cities that acted like magnet zones for lawlessness. Honest reporting from outlets like CBS documented how the crisis ballooned under prior policies, and why decisive action was necessary to reverse that dangerous trend. Conservative voters endured those headlines and begged for leadership that would put public safety first; now they are beginning to see the payoff of policies that treat the border as a national security issue, not a charitable exercise.
Of course, the left will scream that mass deportations didn’t happen the instant critics demanded, and outlets like the Washington Post sniff for contradictions — but that misses the point. Smart enforcement creates deterrence; fewer crossings mean fewer people to process, fewer resources wasted on releases, and a stronger hand for targeted removals of dangerous offenders. That’s why the administration and CBP are calling for more personnel and better infrastructure to lock in these gains rather than let them evaporate when the headlines shift.
Congress now faces a simple choice: keep funding the tools that make Americans safe, or hand the cartels and open-border activists a victory lap. The One Big Beautiful Bill and recent homeland committee briefings made clear that sustained investment in agents, detention capacity, and technology is what keeps the border secure for the long haul. If Republicans are serious about defending the rule of law, they will pass the resources our frontline men and women need and stop the nonsense of sanctuary politics that undermines them.
Patriots know that a safe nation requires tough decisions and the courage to act, and that is exactly what happened at the border this year. We should celebrate the men and women at CBP who put their lives on the line to enforce our laws, demand continued funding and accountability, and reject any return to the chaos of the last administration. The message to Washington is simple: keep the pressure on, support the agents, and do not trade American safety for partisan virtue signaling.
