Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland made the obvious point on National Report that Border Patrol agents are doing their jobs, not conducting racial witch hunts, and he called out the false narratives being pushed by activist journalists. As a former Border Patrol agent turned sheriff who’s seen the dangers and chaos at the border firsthand, Cleveland’s blunt assessment cut through the media noise with facts, not feelings.
Cleveland isn’t a talking head — he’s a public servant with decades of law enforcement experience who now answers to the people of Terrell County, Texas, and who understands what real policing looks like in hostile terrain. His work with local and federal partners, and his emphasis on practical enforcement rather than performative outrage, gives him credibility that the coastal elites simply lack.
Of course the narrative factories in the mainstream press would rather run headlines than examine operational reality; the Left’s favorite outlets trumpet accusations of racial profiling while officials at DHS have publicly rejected blanket smears as false. There are legitimate policy debates to be had about oversight and transparency, but smearing hardworking border agents for cheap political points endangers both officers and the public.
Cleveland reminded viewers that enforcement is intelligence-driven and focused on criminality, not skin color, and that sheriffs and Border Patrol often must work together to keep Americans safe — a reality ignored by many pundits. Texas’ Operation Lone Star and other local efforts show what coordinated, no-nonsense enforcement looks like when leaders prioritize security over virtue signaling.
Let’s be honest: too many elites prefer narratives that vilify law enforcement while protecting open-borders policies that import crime and instability. When cartel threats and violent smugglers put agents and citizens at risk, as national commentators and officials have warned, the response should be unity and support for those on the front lines, not sanctimonious condemnations.
Americans who work hard and play by the rules deserve a secure border and respect for the officers who enforce it. Sheriff Cleveland’s message was simple and patriotic — stop the lies, back the men and women who keep our communities safe, and demand policies that restore order and common sense to immigration enforcement.
