Creativity Needed in Immigration Debate

This was in the Huffington Post today. Originally reported by the LA Times, it talks about the new immigration law that just passed in Arizona, allowing cops to check anyone's immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion." The ACLU is outraged calling it a warrant for racial profiling while supporters of the bill (mostly Republicans) argue that "Illegal immigration brings crime, kidnapping, drugs and drains our government services." I must say that I hate bills like this. Not only are they slippery slopes for all kinds of civil rights violations, but they are just not creative. Legislators keeps trying to use the same approach for an old issue. The reality is that this kind of aggressive, warrantless lawmaking doesn't accomplish anything. It doesn't deter illegal immigration, it doesn't decrease crime and it certainly doesn't foster community support. What is "reasonable suspicion" when it comes to determining if someone is an illegal immigrant? What does an illegal alien look like? In Arizona, I imagine that they look similar to a Mexican American? Or are illegal Canadian immigrants just as much of a threat? Let's not make the mistake of not seeing the subtext of this law. Law makers are desperate. They dont know what to do anymore when it comes to this issue. Arizona is a central point for crossing the border illegally into this country and it is a legitimate interest for the State to figure out what to do. But this is just stupid and lacking in any type of creative analysis of the real problem.