From the Chicago Tribune:

Arizona legislators are fed up with being terrorized by illegal immigrants, and they have passed a law to get tough. Under the measure, passed this week and sent to the governor, police would have to stop and question anyone they suspect of being in this country without legal authorization.... Truth is, illegal immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than Native Americans. Most come here to work, and in their desire to stay, they are generally afraid to do anything that might draw the attention of armed people wearing badges. El Paso, Texas, is next door to the exceptionally violent Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and easily accessible to illegal entry. Yet it is one of the safest cities in the United States.... In 2007, scholars Ruben Rumbaut [sociology professor from UC Irvine] and Walter Ewing investigated the issue for the Immigration  Policy Center and concluded that "if immigrants suddenly disappeared and the country became immigrant-free (and illegal-immigrant free), crime rates would likely increase." That's not to say Arizonans don't have a right to be upset when Mexicans trespass across private land on a regular basis. But you could solve that problem by making it easier for them to immigrate legally.

For the full story, please visit http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0422-chapman-20100....