La Opinión, News Report, Posted: Jun 23, 2010

LOS ANGELES -- Numerous "copycat" states are looking to follow Arizona's lead after its adoption of SB 1070, which makes it a state crime to be undocumented, reports La Opinión. Legislators in 22 states have considered or already introduced similar laws, and many of them are in places that have a new and relatively small immigrant populations, such as Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana and Missouri.

Residents of Fremont, Nebraska, which has 25,000 inhabitants and a very small immigrant population, approved a law tough on immigrants in a June 22 special election.

President-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, David Leopold, told La Opinión Arizona's law was essentially written by people outside Arizona, in Washington, so they can replicate it in other states. The Immigration Law Reform Institute, a Washington-based group that advised the wording of the law, doesn't have to operate in all states, experts say. These copycats form naturally, driven by politicians who see a potential career move where there is public frustration with the immigration issue.