Ali Bradley and Devan Markham
7 minutes ago
Three congressional candidates: Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland (left), Victor Avila (middle), and Sheriff Mark Lamb (right). (Credit: Cleveland/Facebook; Avila/Facebook; Lamb/Facebook)
TEMPE, Ariz. (NewsNation) — Three Southern Border law enforcement officers are running for Congress and hope their decades of experience will lead to better immigration policy.
Border disputes have been raging in their backyards for years, and they’ve been vocal, but the number of encounters with immigrants has surged again and law enforcement geared up for the end of Title 42. Terrell County Texas Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, retired ICE/HSI Special agent Victor Avila and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb prepare to fight in the halls of Congress.
They are frustrated by NewsNation’s lack of support from the Biden administration in what they call a “border crisis.”
“We’ve lived it. We’ve seen it. We know what works and what doesn’t,” said Thaddeus Cleveland.
They said they weren’t going to play political games and wanted change.
Cleveland said, “I think that what we’ve been doing to save lives and protect innocents will continue on a larger scale with the badge of honor.
Cleveland has been running border patrols for nearly 30 years, but the former Border Patrol chief has been vocal on the issue as sheriff and spoke EXCLUSIVELY with NewsNation about what his candidacy for Congress looks like. .
Cleveland said, “I really feel like we need to have representation in Washington, D.C., we don’t have representation.
Republican Tony Gonzalez currently represents the largest constituency that happens to be in Texas. With Del Rio, Eagle His Pass, and parts of El Paso all within his 23rd borough, the district has become the epicenter of the immigration crisis.
According to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection report, immigrant encounters are now on pace to surpass last year’s national encounter record of more than 2.7 million.
“I am a strong believer in law and order and public safety. I support legal immigration and want people to come to this country legally. There is a right way,” said Victor Avila.
Avila also went to the forefront as a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, literally seeing the other side of the border. He was working in Mexico investigating cartels.
Like Cleveland, Avila competes for seats in Gonzalez’s 23rd arrondissement.
“I’ve always been frustrated in my career, like, why is someone like me in DC? Well, I want to be that person,” Avila said. rice field.
In Arizona, another sheriff is running for Congress.
“Washington needs a new sheriff in town,” Lamb said in the campaign video.
For the past seven years, Mark Lamb has served as Sheriff of Pinal County and is currently running for the seat of independent Senator Kirsten Cinema of Arizona.
“I think all Americans should think of this as a fight for their lives. and I am honored to take it upon myself,” Lam said.
Lam has created multiple specialized units to target rampant human and drug smuggling in his county about 50 miles from the border.
He said he would work to implement a similar program at the national level.
“The border crisis affects all of us no matter what political party you are. And we need someone who fights for a proven conservative fight, or who has been doing it for a while,” Lam said.
All three candidates told NewsNation they felt the cartels should be designated as terrorist organizations, as many Republican lawmakers are pushing for, and that they felt it was a step in the right direction to combat the fentanyl tide. I have confirmed that there is
Devan Markham contributed to this report.
