Porous borders.(Between The Lines)

ITEM: Illegal immigration is on the rise in the U.S., reported the Washington correspondent for the Melbourne Herald Sun (Australia) on September 13. "Border controls have become a key political issue since the September 11, 2001 attacks, with critics fearing that would be terrorists could illegally enter the country to conduct new strikes."

BETWEEN THE LINES: While illegal immigration should be a key issue, Democrat and Republican leaders have largely disregarded it. George Bush supports providing work permits to illegal aliens with jobs, while John Kerry vows to grant them permanent resident status. Nevertheless, mention of immigration reform, as the Media General News Service puts it, "is a no-no in the presidential race," though most Americans oppose amnesty for border jumpers.

Lax enforcement is Bush administration policy. Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security, recently indicated it is unrealistic to apply the law to millions of current illegals. Not surprisingly, another three million or so will cross the border ...