This is a transcript from Lou Dobbs' program, December 13th:


DOBBS: Tonight, one of the boldest and most important efforts to secure our nation's borders is under attack. Legislation designed to tighten border security and to stop employers from hiring illegal aliens is scheduled to go to the House floor this week.

But some Americans determined to keep our borders wide open are now working with the Mexican government to fight that legislation. Casey Wian reports.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's 171 pages but the goals of the Border Protection Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act are fairly simple.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All those in favor will say aye.

WIAN: Congressman James Sensenbrenner's bill would provide more manpower and resources for the Border Patrol and other immigration authorities. It would increase penalties for illegal alien smuggling, repeated illegal entries, and crimes committed by illegal aliens. And it would require all employers to verify the legal status of their workers.

Now the government of Mexico is leading a lobbying effort against the border security measure. Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Derbez says his government is "trying with great force to prevent" the bill from passing.

He is asking business, community, and religious groups to make themselves heard. In Los Angeles, illegal alien advocates answered his call with inflammatory rhetoric distorting the bill's potential impact.

ANN MARIE TALLMAN, MALDEF: It basically legislates discrimination in our country.

DANIEL HUANG, ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL CTR.: Racist immigration laws and policies systematically excluded Asians from entering the United States, for instance, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Today we see that same anti-immigrant sentiment.

REV. ERNESTO MEDINA, EPISCOPAL PROVOST: The term slave or slavery is one that now is difficult to say, and I dream of a time of when we, as a people together in this nation, will find the terms undocumented worker, or one who is illegal or whatever, comes out with the same kind of negative, you know, desire to put soap in one's mouth.

WIAN: Perhaps the soap should be reserved for those that equate border security and law enforcement with racism and slavery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The committee stands adjourned.

WIAN: The bill has been approved by the House Judiciary Committee and is likely to go before the full House this week.

(on camera): Committee staffers expect a wave of amendments designed to weaken the Sensenbrenner bill, but they still expect it will pass despite the disinformation campaign.