"The influx of illegal immigrants plunged to an estimated 300,000 annually between March 2007 and 2009, from 850,000 a year between March 2000 and March 2005, according to new study released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group," says the Wall Street Journal. "The decline contributed to a contraction in the overall size of the undocumented population to 11 million people in March 2009 from a peak of 12 million two years earlier, according to the Pew analysis, which is based on data from the Census Bureau."

"It's not just Arizona. In states far from the Mexico border - from liberal Massachusetts to moderate Iowa - Democrats and Republicans in gubernatorial races are running on strict anti-immigrant platforms, pledging to sign an array of tough enforcement measures into law come January," says Politico. "The prevalence of the issue means the Obama administration could find itself battling Arizona-style flare-ups in statehouses across the country, raising pressure on the White House and Congress to break the deadlock in Washington over comprehensive immigration reform."

"Sheriff Michael Hennessey and a majority of supervisors have blasted a federal program that takes fingerprint information from jails and sends it directly to immigration authorities. The City's sanctuary ordinance prevents city officials from assisting immigration authorities unless a felony is suspected. Hennessey called on the California Department of Justice to shield information from the federal government," the SF Examiner reported. Hennessy seized upon a fact-sheet issued from ICE about the ability to opt-out from Secure Communities to argue that SF could opt-out, but as the office of Atty. General Brown said in a statement, SF county is a political subdivision of the State of California and must abide by Brown's decision to implement Secure Communities statewide.

"Besides Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Kansas City law professor Kris Kobach may be the most visible supporter of Arizona's recent law to discourage illegal immigration. With a sterling resume and telegenic looks, Kobach has defended the action everywhere from the studios of Fox News to the editorial pages of The New York Times," says Stateline. "I see a breakdown in the rule of law in elections that is similar to the breakdown of the rule of law in immigration," he says. He argues that election fraud, like illegal immigration, is widespread and could be effectively curbed with straightforward ideas.

To combat election fraud, for example, Kobach wants to require voters to show photo IDs at polling places, make voters prove their citizenship when they register and keep better tabs on voters once they are on the rolls.

"No shortage of reasons exists to root for a solution to America's illegal immigration problem. Nonetheless, the arrest last week by Pasco County deputies of Alberto Rodriguez Gonzalez and Pedro Ferrat provides yet one more," says Tampa Bay columnist Tom Jackson. "When police and deputies are required to ascertain the immigration status of suspicious characters encountered in legal stops, the result is almost certainly to be fewer encounters with suspicious characters of murky immigration status."

"A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday by a Tucson police officer who challenged Arizona's new immigration law. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton says the lawsuit by Officer Martin Escobar alleged an injury that was based on speculation," Fox News reported.

"The Frederick County Commissioners have rejected a proposal to establish an Arizona-style immigration law in Maryland. Board members voted 3-2 Tuesday not to include the measure in a package of proposals they will send to the county's state legislative delegation to bring before next year's General Assembly," the AP reported.