Naturally, the operation is upsetting left-wing "civil rights" groups.

According to the Los Angeles Times, uniformed Border Patrol agents, in conjunction with undercover immigration authorities, have busted at least 64 illegal immigrants at LAX this week alone.

Smuggling rings bring in scores of "undocumented migrants" from Mexico to Phoenix, then on to LAX, where they are then put on flights for the East Coast.

"This is not about picking up large numbers of illegal aliens using LAX," Kevin Jeffery, deputy special agent in the Los Angeles office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the paper. "This is about dismantling criminal organizations."

Whatever it is, it's about time Washington got serious about so-called "interior enforcement" of the nation's immigration laws, immigration reform groups say.

In the past, the federal government concentrated most of its law enforcement efforts only on the borders — mostly with Mexico, but also with Canada.

Border Patrol agents have often said that if illegals make it past the border to the interior of the nation, they are home free, because local law enforcement officials rarely help enforce federal immigration laws.

In some cities — Los Angeles and San Diego, for instance — city officials have ordinances prohibiting local cops from interdicting illegal aliens.

So it is with some relief to groups advocating better immigration law enforcement that the government is acting to interdict illegals in the interior for a change.

But, as usual, left-leaning "immigrant rights" groups are complaining about the effort, accusing the government of racial profiling.

"The Border Patrol maintained that they were acting on intelligence," Luis Carrillo, a civil rights attorney who has defended illegal immigrants, told the paper. "What was really happening was they were racially profiling. No matter how well-intentioned their effort is, people who look like Europeans will not get stopped and asked questions."

Maybe someone should remind Mr. Carrillo that Europeans don't usually sneak into the U.S., and they certainly don't live in Mexico. Also, the U.S. is within its rights to enforce its immigration laws, regardless of the technique used to do it.

Regarding the smuggling rings operating at LAX, federal officials say smuggled illegals are usually flown to Las Vegas and on to Denver.

Much to the angst of Mr. Carrillo, the Times reported that federal authorities will be there waiting for them.

Editor's note: