This summer Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina helped scuttle the so-called “grand bargain” immigration reform bill that would have given amnesty to more than 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants—while doing virtually nothing to secure U.S. borders.

Backed by President Bush, who was looking to enhance his legacy, and Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and John Kyle, R-Ariz., the bill was accurately described by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as “mess.”

The last straw for conservatives was when Bush attacked his own conservative base and talk radio for a lack of patriotism. “If you don’t want to do what’s right for America,” he said of opponents of the Bush-Kennedy immigration bill, “if you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill’s an amnesty bill. That’s empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens.”

But if all of the illegal aliens are instantly legalized, what other phrase describes that other than amnesty?

The Heritage Foundation made the following points:

Congress should set aside this grand bargain and begin anew the serious work of crafting sensible immigration reforms that will:

  • Enhance, rather than compromise, national security;
  • Affirm, rather than undermine, the rule of law;
  • Facilitate economic growth in a fiscally responsible fashion;
  • Create a temporary worker program that is balanced, market-driven, and enforceable;
  • Enrich the fabric of our culture while uniting us as a people.

Dole understood, as did many conservatives outside Washington, D.C., that none of the above would be accomplished by passing the grand bargain. In an interview with The News & Observer of Raleigh, Dole said, “My view overall on all this is: What people want, and what we’ve heard from thousands of people, is they don’t have any confidence right now with regard to securing the borders.”

“The rush shouldn’t be to legalize 12 million people; the rush should be to do everything in our power to show the borders have been secured.” she said. “Rush to do that. Rush to secure communities.”

The senator was right on target.

Dole first tried to make improvements to the bill, but after essentially being blocked, Dole changed tactics: “Basically the bill comes down,” she said. Dole was pressured by the GOP leadership and the backers of the immigration reform measure not to make a move. She changed her vote anyway.

This was an act of political courage that North Carolinians have not witnessed since former Sen. Jesse Helms stood firm against the Panama Canal Treaty.

For those of us in the conservative movement, the rejection of the immigration bill opens a chance for real reform—reform that respects the will of the majority of the citizens of the United States, reform that protects both our economic and national security.

First on the agenda, we must stop new illegal immigrants from entering the country by funding and building the 700 miles of wall authorized by Congress and signed into law last year by Bush.

Also, we should make it less attractive to all employers to hire illegals by imposing heavy fines on them for doing so.

Illegal immigration is not some sort of uncontrollable force of nature. It can and should be regulated. The rule of law and our borders must be respected by those who would come here.

Like many other citizens of the United States, my great-grandparents came through Ellis Island—legally. They learned to speak English, studied American history, and became productive citizens.

By opposing the Bush-McCain-Kennedy Amnesty bill, Dole signaled a way for a new approach: enforcement first, amnesty last, and open arms for hard-working laborers and skilled immigrants from across the world who want to come here legally to be part of the American dream.

Marc Rotterman is a senior fellow of the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh and a former member of the board of the American Conservative Union.