Progress is being made on illegal immigration

It will take courageous political leaders to pass legislation to deal conclusively with illegal immigration in the United States. That's really just another way of saying that we shouldn't expect anything to happen in the near future politically.

In the meantime, it's encouraging to see that the flow of illegal immigrants into this country has slowed and that existing laws are being enforced more often. It lends credence to those who have been saying all along that we already have the proper laws in place to deal with the problem.

Immigrants have contributed a great deal to this country, and that is still the case. Americans would be paying more for many goods and services if it were not for the availability of that source of cheap labor. But it is an inescapable conclusion that illegal immigration is a burden on our schools, medical facilities and legal system.

While the inaction of Congress and the president has frustrated many people, progress is being made. Members of Nevada's National Guard are at the border now, helping immigration agents. Gov. Gibbons, on a trip to the border and to Mexico, says it's making a difference. More agents and high-tech devices are also deterring people from sneaking across the border.

Now just imagine if employers began to be more diligent in making sure they're hiring legal workers with proper documentation ... it's not a difficult thing to do.

If that happened, by the time Congress got around to addressing the immigration issue they might just find there is no problem left to solve.