Donald Trump made his first big splash as a presidential candidate by speaking honestly about the crushing problems of immigration, particularly the illegal variety. His pledge to build a big border wall with Mexico paying for it is a hu-u-u-u-ge crowd pleaser during campaign speeches.

His attention to immigration issues convinced the National Border Patrol Council (a union with a membership of nearly 17,000) to recommend Trump for president. A March 30 Breitbart story includes the NBPC’s statement and an audio interview with BB Texas manager Brandon Darby: National Border Patrol Council Endorses Trump for President.

Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council, testified last September during a House hearing that only 40 percent of the border is under operational control. So the physical border is still a sieve that invites drugs and jihadist enemies.

Basic border security remains a challenge.

Brandon Judd appeared on Fox News Thursday morning to discuss his group’s endorsement, a step into politics the NBPC has never taken before:

BRIAN KILMEADE: Now as this race progresses for the Republican nomination it gets down to the wire a group that is never ever before endorsed candidate in a presidential primary is breaking tradition by throwing its support behind Donald Trump. Meet Brandon Judd. He is the president of the National Border Patrol Council which speaks on behalf of nearly 17,000 Border Patrol agents. Brandon how tough was this decision for you to make this unprecedented move?

BRANDON JUDD: It was a very tough decision. We had to look at all candidates, we had to vet candidates thoroughly, we had to look at where their positions were on the border, and frankly Donald Trump has the strongest position on the border and he’s always had the strongest position on the border.

KILMEADE: He has been strong but Ted Cruz’s people, he said I’m from Texas I’ve known about the problem on the border, I’ve been strong in the border. What do you have to say to them?

JUDD: Well again, I have to look at who brought this issue to the forefront, who is continuously talking about this issue and frankly that’s Donald Trump.

KILMEADE: Right and thats Donald Trump, so what was his reaction when when the camp got word that you are doing this?

JUDD: Well, I think they were very pleased because it shows that the agents on the border — I’ve been an agent in the National Border Patrol Council for about 18 years, I’ve seen the lawlessness on the border I’ve chased aliens through the brush, through the mountains and he has seen how that affects the morale of the Border Patrol not being able to do your job and he wants to take those handcuffs off.

KILMEADE: Brandon, would a wall help?

JUDD: Yes, in strategic places. There are certain places that we don’t have to have a wall but that’s a conversation that Donald Trump is willing to have with those people the agents who actually patrol the border — he’s willing to have that conversation with them.

KILMEADE: I see you made this statement he represents 17,000 people that can make a real difference by the way you talk about a contrast, you’re probably not gonna find it with Cruz and Kasich, but you’ll find with Hillary who said last Thursday I think you’ve done a really good job securing the border. Who’s right here?

JUDD: Well I promise you, Hilary is not right. All you have to do is look at the numbers as far as how many arrests we make, how many got aways there are. If you look at how many persons from countries of of special interest like Afghanistan, Pakistan are entering our country illegally, those numbers are our way up. And so I’m afraid that Hillary Clinton is wrong on that front.

KILMEADE: Brandon, thanks for making news here and a very big step in supporting a candidate at this point in the process.