On April 23, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into effect a controversial new immigration law. The law requires that immigrants carry proof of their immigration status at all times. Furthermore, the legislation directs law enforcement officers to verify a person’s immigration status when possible, and requires officers to arrest people who are unable to prove that they are in the country legally. Opponents argue that Hispanic people will be far more likely to be asked to prove their immigration status than others. Thus, critics say, the bill will encourage racial profiling.

Simply put, the Arizona law is unjust, and its passage ignited a firestorm of protest. President Obama declared the legislation “misguided.” On May 1, hundreds of thousands marched in protest at rallies across the country. In California, the Archbishop of Los Angeles led the protesters in chants of “sí, se puede!” Congressman Raúl Grijalva called for a limited boycott of Arizona in protest of the law, marking the first time in recent memory that a politician urged visitors to avoid his home state. White House police arrested U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois after he and about 35 supporters staged an unauthorized sit-in against the law in front of the White House lawn.

Even Major League Baseball got dragged into the fray, as many baseball players are Latin American immigrants. In Chicago, protesters marched in front of Wrigley Field as the Cubs played the Arizona Diamondbacks. Some critics called on fans to boycott the 2011 All-Star Game, scheduled to be held in Phoenix. Outspoken Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen declared that if Arizona police asked for his immigration documents, he “might say go [expletive] yourself.” Guillen promised to skip the All Star game if the law is not repealed by 2011.

The controversial Arizona law makes passing comprehensive federal immigration reform even more important. Without reform on a national level, states might enact a patchwork of laws in a desperate attempt to address undocumented immigration. As shown by the Arizona law, such legislation could encourage racial profiling and would do little to slow undocumented immigration.

The March murder of rancher Robert Krentz near the U.S.-Mexico border by drug traffickers fueled debate over the Arizona law. Critics argue that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a higher rate than U.S. citizens and are a threat to public safety. Arizona Senator John McCain made the bizarre claim: on national TV, no less: that undocumented immigrants intentionally ram unsuspecting citizens on his state’s freeways.

But the reality is that undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens. The vast majority of “illegal” immigrants are not vicious criminals, but come to the United States in search of jobs and a better life for their families. Their hard labor provides substantial benefits to the U.S. economy. Immigration reform should include a guest worker program that would allow foreign nationals to work in the United States for a specified period of time. A guest worker program would eliminate much of the human smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border. Border Patrol agents would then be able to focus on fighting violent drug trafficking rather than chasing peaceful job-seekers.

Furthermore, immigration reform should include a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the country. Many undocumented immigrants have been in the United States for years, and their children have often spent more of their lives in the United States than in their home countries. Their only crime is crossing an arbitrary line in search of a better living. It’s a pity that such a trivial crime generates so much animosity, irrationality and hate.