Consummating the border betrayal.

The moderator of the third Bush-Kerry debate in Tempe, Arizona, CBS News personality Bob Schieffer, observed that he had received countless e-mails urging him to raise the issue of immigration. As is noted elsewhere in this issue (see article on page 21), both President Bush and Senator Kerry endorsed, in principle, an amnesty for illegal aliens--a position starkly at odds with the overwhelming majority of American voters, who desperately want to regain control over our borders.

On November 2, voters in the besieged border state of Arizona overwhelmingly approved Proposition 200, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship for those registering to vote and seeking access to various public services. To their considerable credit, the state's voters ignored the pleas of Republican leaders such as Arizona Senator John McCain, and the state's Democratic Governor, Janet Napolitano, urging them to vote down the measure. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department, which is never shy about intruding into our domestic affairs, condemned the ballot measure, insisting that it would "foment racial discrimination and limit [migrants'] access to basic services like health and education."

While Prop. 200 earned the condemnation of the Establishment both here and in Mexico, it inspired immigration reform activists in other states. "Arizona's decisive passage of Proposition 200 is inspiring similar anti-illegal immigration efforts across the United States, sweeping east from California to Georgia," reported the November 7 Arizona Republic. "Despite the inevitable court battle here, organizers of copycat efforts elsewhere say it has emboldened their already formed groups to collect signatures, strategize, raise money, expand membership base and garner support from state lawmakers." A November 8 AP article noted: "The vote could reinforce the view of many in Congress who believe granting legal status would reward people who broke the law by entering the country without permission."

The Bush administration, however, remains determined to consummate its plans for an amnesty of illegal aliens. Immediately after Mr. Bush won re-election, Mexican President Vicente Fox urged him to take immediate action to change what he characterized as our "absurd" immigration laws. On November 7, Secretary of State Colin Powell, along with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, flew to Mexico City to confer with Mexican officials.

The AP noted that the purpose of the official visit was to "meet ... with Mexican leaders who are eager for a post-election assessment of President Bush's long dormant proposal to give legal status to millions of U.S.-based undocumented aliens." The Bush administration's eagerness to placate the Mexican government offers a telling counterpoint to its arrogant disregard of the American public's desire to regain control of our borders.