Linda Chavez's latest column (May 4, 2005) is called After the 'Minutemen', and says, in effect, that now that the Minutemen are gone, we can go back to opening the borders.

"Now, I know public opinion polls show that most Americans don't want more immigrants. Only 9 percent of Americans favor increasing immigration, according to one recent poll by Republican pollster Ed Goeas. But the vast majority of adult illegal aliens are gainfully employed—and not at below-minimum wage jobs either—which means that the American labor market easily absorbs them, and, in fact, has become dependent on them."

The fact that some industries may have become "dependent" on illegal labor is no excuse; the "willing employers" to use President Bush's phrase, who have replaced Americans with illegals, are costing the taxpayers money, in that they are paying people to come to America, and be poor there, which requires a huge taxpayer burden, even when they do qualify as "working poor."

But the employers' willingness to violate the law can't overrule the 91% of Americans who are against increased immigration. That's not how democracy works.