A short while ago, an amendment to the immigration bill by Senator Norm Coleman was narrowly defeated. The amendment would have ended the practice in “sanctuary cities” of prohibiting local law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status and reporting findings to federal authorities. Had the amendment passed, it would have been rendered irrelevant by the bill’s clear provisions. Once this bill becomes law, any illegal alien so reported to federal authorities is considered presumptively eligible for probationary legal status — the one-day amnesty the new law would mandate. In effect, every city becomes a sanctuary city when, “between the date of enactment and the date on which the period for initial registration closes. . .the Secretary shall provide the alien with a reasonable opportunity to file an application [for probabtionary legal status.]” The logic of a grand compromise that promises amnesty to illegal aliens demands that the enforcement of currrent laws prohibiting their presence be suspended.