Border emergencies and amnesty.(INSIDER REPORT)

On August 12, New Mexico's Democratic Governor Bill Richardson, describing the situation on his state's border with Mexico as "chaotic," declared a state of emergency. Three days later, Arizona's Democratic Governor, Janet Napolitano, did likewise. Both declarations prompted outrage from the Mexican government. Mexico's theatrical indignation notwithstanding, other governors --including California Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger--indicated they might emulate the example of Richardson and Napolitano. And according to the August 24 Washington Times, state legislators in Virginia, a state well removed from the U.S. Mexican border, have urged Democratic Governor Mark Warner to issue a similar emergency decree.

During the same week, USA Today ran a front-page story describing the border crisis. The August 17 story cited poll data indicating that nearly half of Mexico's population "would move to the USA if they could, and one in five say they would do so illegally if necessary." Two days later, the paper's front page reported that an unprecedented number of illegal aliens have died (generally from thirst or exposure to the elements) during 2005.

On the same day--August 19--that admittedly heart-rending story appeared, the Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security announced two Spanish-language advertising campaigns "to try to stop immigrants from attempting clandestine border crossings and trying to sneak children into the country in car trunks, engines and even gasoline ...