Do a country's borders show up on radar?

They do now, apparently: Everyone in Washington all of a sudden knows where the U.S. southern border is.

You can credit the Minutemen with a lot of that. The volunteer group that staged a citizen border-watch in Arizona earlier this year dramatized, like no one before, the problems with America's porous border - and the simplicity of the solution.

Then, seizing a political opportunity to show up the White House, two Democratic governors in the Southwest declared states of emergency over illegal immigration.

Congress then got into the act, with various senators from both parties competing to see whose immigration reform bill will become law. The proposals, rightly, include stipulations for accommodating foreign workers - but under legal circumstances, and for a limited time of three to six years.

We like the proposal of Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., which would require illegal immigrants to go back home before applying for the temporary worker program. It's only right.

But if nothing else, it's being discussed finally. Even Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has been busy with two U.S. Supreme Court nominations, says immigration reform is "a matter of very, very substantial urgency."

As much as anything, we are encouraged by the Bush administration's belated entry onto the scene. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has now promised that the country's ludicrous catch-and-release policy, which allows apprehended illegals to be set free in the United States, is on its way out.

"Return every single illegal entrant - no exceptions," Chertoff told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

We don't know what's in the water in D.C. these days, but put more in!

Of course, Chertoff's change would only cover the 120,000 non-Mexican immigrants caught and released in a year's time. In addition, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and non-Mexicans never get caught.

We like all the talk. But let's see some action.

Is anyone considering, for instance, actually securing the border?