In Arizona yesterday, a federal judge blocked some of the most restrictive provisions of that state's immigration-enforcement law from going into effect, ruling that Arizona lawmakers violated the Constitution by usurping federal power to regulate immigration. It's a big win for the U.S. Department of Justice, who angered some civil rights advocates by pursuing the injunction based on enforcement rather than civil rights grounds. It also should put the brakes on many plans to target illegal immigrants at the state level using criminal laws.

Momentum behind that strategy was slowing already, too. Five states are currently debating similar measures and many GOP lawmakers in other states -- including here in Illinois -- are floating the idea.  But the bills haven't garnered that much support anywhere outside Arizona: ballot initiatives failed in Nevada and Arkansas; state leaders are refusing to allow bills to gain traction in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; and a Republican is using procedural tactics to stall another measure in Kansas.

It seems lawmakers are getting wise to the practical and political problems with this harsh, enforcement-only approach.