.When I initially heard of Arizona's new state law, allowing law enforcers to ask anyone for proof of legal US residency, I thought it was utterly ridiculous. I've only visited Arizona once and that was years ago, but I thought, What if my Panamanian or Trinidadian family lived there? Would an ambitious or bored police officer harass them once they heard their accents? And how often would they be subject to that? As the boycotts and lawsuits fly, I decided to ask my husband's American cousin who moved there recently. She had a lot to say and it got me thinking this isn't as simple as black and white.

First, she says many illegal immigrants own property, pay taxes, own businesses, go to school and so on, just like everyone else. They are skilled workers in construction, landscaping, car repair, restaurants, and more. If they were to leave Arizona, it would devastate that state's economy... much like it would anywhere else in the U.S. Many fail to realize that undocumented immigrants are not only the people who take the low-paying jobs. So folks on every rung of the ladder are now afraid of being found out and deported. Also, authorities keep reassuring that this new law does not involve racial profiling. How can they guarantee that? Miscommunication between police and the common man can have deadly consequences i.e. Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo. Will these officers be given Spanish language courses? Will they be given diversity training?

On the flip side, the United States does have a cloud of terrorism over it. Real people want to inflict real devastation. My cousin says if it helps catch suspicious people or criminals, even illegal immigrants want the police to step in and save the day. I don't think anyone would mind the harassment if it saved their life and/or the lives of others. In addition, the hope there is that the new law would be a deterrent to drug lords that come over the border. The drug war in Mexico doesn't seem to be improving and this could be a way to help contain it. There had to be some majority of support for this law to get it passed.

NBA basketball team "Los Suns" managing partner Robert Sarver summed it up best in a statement, "The frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law." I wrote about immigration reform months ago in this column.

I'm sure President Obama has more than enough on his plate but when nothing happens, things like this new law happens. Maybe the new law helps spur immigration reform along. In that case, thanks Arizona and I plan to visit my cousin soon. I'll be sure to have my driver's license handy.

Shanida Smith Carter is a television producer and writer in New York City. She also teaches college courses on Latin American and Caribbean. She lives in New Jersey with her husband.