by Richard Estrada

About the author: Richard Estrada is a columnist for the Dallas Morning News.

America’s immigration system has for decades stuck in the craw of many citizens who cherish democracy and the rule of law. By increasingly caving in to special interests who are indifferent to, or supportive of, illegal immigration, the federal government has turned the nonenforcement of immigration laws into an art form.

Lax Border Enforcement

But the Clinton administration is embroidering even that situation in 1999. When the government agency charged with excluding unauthorized workers from the labor market begins downplaying work-site inspections and refusing reinforcements to reduce illegal entries, the word “concern” fails.

As chief overseer of the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS], Attorney General Janet Reno told Congress that she has decided against requesting an additional 1,000 Border...