It's appalling that Arizona passed a law that requires police to question anyone they "reasonably think" may be in the state illegally and then check for immigration papers. It's just as disturbing that 10 more states -- including Minnesota -- are considering similar draconian measures.

Opponents rightly fear that the Arizona law could unleash a wave of racial profiling and harassment against people of color. The law has prompted enormous controversy, including coast-to-coast protests and threats of tourist and business boycotts. More productively, it has highlighted the need for the federal government to get to work on comprehensive U.S. immigration reform.

That effort can't come soon enough. Last week, state Rep. Steve. Drazkowski, R-Wabasha, introduced bill that mirrors the Arizona law. Drazkowski's legislation would make it mandatory for law enforcement officers to determine the immigration status of anyone who is stopped or arrested and could possibly be foreign-born.

Fortunately, the measure is not expected to go anywhere. It probably won't be heard in committee, and there's no companion bill in the Senate. During the last two weeks of the session, lawmakers have more important work to do on the state budget. The proposal also immediately prompted strong opposition from local immigrant, human rights, religious and law enforcement groups.

But it's revealing to learn that a few state lawmakers, including recently endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tom Emmer, believe the Arizona legislation is good public policy. It's clearly not.

These kinds of crackdowns open the door for intimidation of legal citizens based on race and ethnicity. Simply "looking" Latino, African or Middle Eastern or speaking with an accent could be the sole reason someone is questioned and asked for "papers." It's unjust, undemocratic and akin to taking a meat cleaver to a problem that requires a scalpel.

The Arizona law also is unworkable. Finding, detaining and deporting tens of thousands of undocumented people in Arizona -- the vast majority of whom are working and contributing to the state's economy -- would be impossible. Nationally, nearly 12 million people could be affected. There's no way this nation could absorb the multiple costs of going after the undocumented population, including the cost of lost productivity, tax revenues and consumer purchases.

The constitutionality of the Arizona measure is also in question, and several lawsuits have been filed in opposition. The Obama administration has denounced the law and said it is considering taking legal action.

Many law enforcement agencies oppose these kinds of overreaching immigration assaults because of the impact on public safety. If local officers are required to serve as immigration agents, they could lose the trust of immigrant communities, harming their ability to prevent and solve crimes. Immigration issues should be handled by federal workers, not local police.

A recent national Gallup Poll showed that about half of Americans who had heard about Arizona's law agreed with it. That reflects the deep frustration that most citizens feel about America's broken immigration policies. Those concerns are legitimate, but they will not be addressed by turning America into apartheid-like states. What's needed are rules that strengthen the borders, create a path to legal status or citizenship for those who are already here, and a reexamination of the work-visa program.

The Arizona law and growing national frustration should light a fire under the administration and Congress to reform immigration policies this year. This nation -- a proud nation of immigrants -- can and should do better.