The battle to regain control of our borders

Pat Buchanan:

Twenty years ago, Ronald Reagan was persuaded to grant a one-time amnesty to millions of illegal aliens who had been here for years. Result: Some 1.5 million illegal aliens were caught almost every year after. They had missed out on the amnesty, and they, too, wanted in. When Bush first broached his "guest-worker" program two years ago, there was a surge to the border from Mexico.

A recent Pew Hispanic Poll found 46 percent of all Mexicans say they would like to live in the United States and 20 percent, more than 20 million, are willing to break in. If Congress votes for Bush's guest-worker program, nothing will stop the flood – for the world will see it as admission that America is a weak nation that will not even order out of its home those who have broken in uninvited, sat down at the table and demanded to be treated like a member of the family.

As Reagan said, the country that can't control its borders isn't really a country anymore.

The battle to regain control of the borders is a cause that has won the support of a No-Longer-Silent Majority. The open-borders, Business Roundtable Republicans know it. On the run, they want to compromise. They will accept some border security, they say, if they can get in return an amnesty for their illegal workers and the legislated right of U.S. businesses to go overseas and hire foreigners to take American jobs.

Conservatives need to tell the White House: No deal, no amnesty, do your duty, defend the border, or we will find men and women to replace you who will enforce our laws and protect our country.

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