Open door to terror: Bush's amnesty plan will compound the dangers our nation already faces from international terrorists and their allies.(Immigration)(Cover Story)

Two Iraqis meet in southern Texas. One starts to greet the other in the native language, Arabic. The other Iraqi waves him away contemptuously and snaps, "We're in America now. Speak Spanish!"

Popular humor often lays bare crucial truths that are cloaked in cant. The popular jibe recited above not only reflects the radical changes being inflicted on our public culture by rampant immigration, but the growing danger to our nation as international terrorists from the Middle East and elsewhere exploit our porous borders.

"America must control its borders," pronounced President Bush in the January 7 address outlining his new amnesty proposal. "Following the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, this duty of the federal government has become even more urgent.... Illegal entry across our borders makes more difficult the urgent task of securing the homeland."

How granting amnesty to millions of foreign lawbreakers enhances our national security, the president did not deign to explain. Nor did the president allude to the negative impact his amnesty proposal would obviously have on the morale of those given the task of securing our borders. The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), which represents the 9,000 line agents of the BoLder Patrol (now part of the Department of Homeland Security), denounced the plan as a "slap in the face to anyone who has ever tried to enforce the immigration laws of the United States."

"Hey, you know all those illegal aliens you risked 'life and limb' to apprehend'? FAH-GED-ABOWD-IT," wrote NBPC Vice President John Frecker in a letter to members shortly after the president's speech. "President Bush has solved the problem. Don't be confused and call this an 'amnesty,' even though those who are here illegally will suddenly become legal and will be allowed to stay here."

In the section of his January 7 speech describing his administration's supposed accomplishments in the counter-terrorism field, Mr. Bush declared, "America is acting on a basic belief: our borders should be open to legal travel and honest trade: our borders should be shut and barred tight to criminals, drug traders, to drug traffickers and to criminals, and to terrorists." The amnesty proposal would allow law enforcement agencies "to focus on the true threats to our nation from criminals and terrorists," while helping us to become "a more compassionate and more humane ... country." But how does legalizing millions of illegal aliens enable law enforcement to focus on the true threats to our nation? Once again, President Bush did not attempt to explain.

Those who are familiar with the 1986 amnesty will recall nearly identical assurances from sponsors of that ill-fated measure. And the proposed Bush amnesty like its predecessor--would, at best, merely shut the door behind criminals who entered our nation, allowing them to operate openly and freely.