Not quite a year ago, the Washington Times published an article detailing one Mexican gang’s document forgery business. It was a thriving enterprise, and undoubtedly remains a thriving industry, even with the abrupt departure of Mr. Leija-Sanchez and his operation from the scene.

The logic underlying the criminal mastermind’s business acumen also showed an appreciation that politics could help determine his business future.

The head of a Mexican forgery ring was convinced he could make phony documents that illegal aliens could use to indicate fraudulently that they were eligible for a new amnesty, says a government affidavit recounting wiretapped phone calls the man made.

Julio Leija-Sanchez, who ran a $3 million-a-year forgery operation before he was arrested in April, was expecting Congress to pass a legalization program, which he called "amnesty," and said he could forge documents to fool the U.S. government into believing illegal aliens were in the country in time to qualify for amnesty, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent said in the affidavit.

In recounting a wiretapped telephone conversation, ICE agent Jason E. Medica said he heard Mr. Leija-Sanchez tell an associate the forgery ring could "fix his papers" to meet the requirements of a legalization program such as the bill the Senate is debating today.

"When Leija-Sanchez said 'if there's an amnesty, he can fix his papers,' Leija-Sanchez was referring to the possibility of pending legislation which would allow a certain class of illegal aliens to remain in the United States, as long as they can prove a term of residency in the United States with no convictions," agent Medica wrote.

"When Leija-Sanchez said 'he can fix his papers,' he was referring to the fact that the organization could fraudulently create or alter documents to falsely prove the requisite residency period," the agent wrote.

Mr. Leija-Sanchez also used his forgery ring to help smuggle illegal aliens into the country on the understanding they would work for his criminal enterprise. He was arrested on charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit murder.

So, in the midst of a campaign year, with immigration heating up as an election issue, Congress didn’t pass the amnesty legislation. That’s this year. What about the next, and the one after that, as pressure rises as more and more Mexicans and other Latinos find their way into this country, and are increasingly integrated into the economy, with their children born American citizens, with their political and media power coalescing?

Herein lies the problem: People want in, and if legal means are cut off, then they’ll find other ways, with the assistance of people like Mr. Leija-Sanchez. People want in, and if we are not serious about shutting down the border, then we better figure out how to deal with with all these people, and put the forgers out of business, one way or another.