“A Lot of Noise”

From the Editors of National Review Online:

If Bush really wants to get serious about immigration enforcement, there are measures he could take today that would go a long way toward seeing that "America's immigration laws apply across all of America." For instance, the Social Security Administration could be instructed to reject fake or stolen Social Security numbers submitted by employers on behalf of new hires; or the Treasury Department could change its instructions to banks that currently permit them to accept Mexico's illegal-alien I.D. card for purposes of opening accounts. Such measures would make the U.S. a less-alluring destination for illegals but would require no new funding, no new legislation, and no new computer systems.

The president's belated support for more enforcement inspires little confidence in conservatives who fear a replay of 1986, when millions of illegal aliens were legalized in exchange for hollow promises of future enforcement. If the president wants to persuade Congress and the American people that this time will be different, he must provide actions rather than words, results rather than "noise."