As smugglers grow desperate under Trump’s border success, they’re funneling migrants through treacherous desert terrain where even Sheriff Cleveland admits “it’s wide open spaces” impossible to fully patrol.
At a Glance
- Texas is closing its Operation Lone Star jail facility in Jim Hogg County due to historically low illegal immigration across most of the border, attributed to Trump’s enforcement policies
- While most border areas see dramatic decreases in crossings (94% drop overall), smugglers are redirecting migrants to remote areas like Terrell County where terrain makes enforcement difficult
- Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland reports capturing about 60 migrants in just ten days in his remote west Texas county
- Migrants face extreme danger attempting to cross through arid landscapes without adequate food or water
- Border Patrol arrests have plummeted to their lowest levels since May 2020, with only 7,100 illegal crossings recorded last month
Border Security’s Game of Whack-a-Mole
What happens when you actually secure most of the border effectively? The criminals find the gaps. That’s exactly what’s playing out in Terrell County, Texas, where Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland is witnessing an unsettling trend as Trump’s border policies successfully choke off most illegal entry points. While the administration’s crackdown has led to historic lows in border crossings across most sectors, it’s also created a predictable consequence: smugglers are now desperately funneling migrants through the most remote, dangerous, and difficult-to-patrol stretches of our southern border.
Cleveland’s sparsely populated county, with its vast desert terrain, has become an increasingly attractive crossing point for smugglers who can’t penetrate more heavily enforced areas. “Up until now we were slowing down, I think as the year progresses more activity will move out here because it’s wide open spaces,” Cleveland told The Post. The stark reality is that no matter how effective enforcement becomes in populated areas, America’s 2,000-mile southern border will always have vulnerable sections that criminals will exploit, especially when border patrol resources are concentrated elsewhere.
A Tale of Two Border States
The contrast between different sections of the border couldn’t be more dramatic. Texas has announced the closure of its Operation Lone Star jail booking facility in Jim Hogg County – a facility that’s simply no longer needed due to dramatically reduced illegal crossings. The numbers tell the story: average monthly bookings dropped from 67 in 2022 to just 26 last year. Across the entire southern border, illegal crossings have plummeted by a staggering 94% compared to last year, with only 7,100 recorded last month. This represents a seismic shift from the chaos that defined the Biden administration’s border policy.
“Thanks to President Trump, illegal border crossings are at all-time record lows and, unlike under President Joe Biden, the Trump Administration is quickly deporting illegal immigrants from our country” said Governor Abbott.
Yet while some areas celebrate victory, others prepare for battle. In Terrell County, Sheriff Cleveland reports capturing approximately 60 migrants in just the last ten days. These aren’t families seeking asylum or humanitarian relief – they’re primarily young men from Mexico wearing camouflage clothing and actively evading authorities. The smuggling operations have shifted their strategy from mass crossings to stealth infiltration, targeting the areas where enforcement is spread thinnest and the terrain provides natural cover for their illegal activities.
Dangerous Desperation
What’s particularly troubling about this shift to remote crossings is the extreme danger posed to migrants themselves. The rugged, arid landscape of Terrell County offers no mercy to those attempting to traverse it on foot. With little to no access to food or water and miles of unforgiving terrain to cross, these remote routes can quickly become deadly. Yet smugglers, growing increasingly desperate as their traditional crossing points are blocked, continue to push migrants through these treacherous pathways with little regard for human life.
“to make it in undetected and run when we encounter them,” Cleveland said.
The response from Texas officials to Biden administration claims that their policies contributed to reduced crossings was appropriately dismissive. “The suggestion that President Biden’s open border policies had anything to do with reduced border crossings is laughable,” said Andrew Mahaleris, Governor Abbott’s press secretary. He’s right – the Biden administration spent years facilitating the largest border invasion in American history before finally implementing limited restrictions under intense political pressure. Only when Trump won re-election and immediately implemented serious enforcement did the border numbers truly collapse.
The Path Forward
Sheriff Cleveland isn’t mincing words about what’s needed next. “President Trump has done his part along the border, now it’s time for Congress to do their part,” he stated plainly. While President Trump’s enforcement policies have clearly made a dramatic difference, the reality remains that our border requires constant vigilance and resources to maintain security. Cleveland’s challenges in Terrell County highlight the need for comprehensive solutions that address every mile of our southern border, not just the high-traffic areas.
Texas has shouldered an enormous financial burden, spending $11 billion on Operation Lone Star since its 2021 launch, and Governor Abbott is requesting an additional $6.5 billion for future border security. The state has even offered its newly closed Jim Hogg County facility to the Trump Administration to support ongoing border operations. This partnership between state and federal authorities stands in stark contrast to the obstruction and lawfare that characterized the previous administration’s relationship with border states.
