A white paper from Boise State University's public policy center, which analyzed the results of immigration questions in the most recent statewide BSU Public Policy Surveys in 2006 and 2007, found strong concern among Idahoans about illegal immigration: 54 percent said undocumented immigrants reduce the overall quality of education for Idaho children; more than 50 percent said Idaho should deny indigent medical care to undocumented immigrants; and 68 percent supported adopting an "English only" policy for the state. Boise State Public Radio interviewed Professor Greg Hill about the research this morning; you can listen to their story and see the white paper here.

At the same time, a new report from the L.A. Times notes that when the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last week to stop a far-reaching Arizona immigration law from taking effect it said immigration policy is a national responsibility and “a patchwork of state laws will only create more problems than it solves,” but according to experts, that's what we already have, with states enacting 333 immigration-related laws and resolutions last year, up from 32 in 2005. You can read that story here at spokesman.com.