ACLU Fights Oakland Gang Injunction:  San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson writes today about the injunction proposed by the Oakland City Attorney to declare members of the violent North Oakland Gang a public nuisance.  Like similar injunctions in many other U.S. cities, the one proposed in Oakland would prohibit identified members of the gang from gathering in an area they have occupied as their "turf".  Members who violate the injunction could be cited searched and questioned by police.  Any contraband or weapons uncovered would result in criminal charges.  The ACLU has initiated a legal challenging to the injunction, arguing that it would threaten the gang members' rights of free expression, association and movement.  Johnson's piece notes that, with the injunction, Oakland officials are trying to assure those rights to law abiding residents, who are intimidated, threatened and often victimized by the gang members.  Manuel La Fontaine, the organizer of a group called Stop the Injunction claims that the injunction would allow police to conduct stops based on racial profiling. There have been 33 homicides in Oakland so far this year. 

Other States Copying Arizona:  Christian Science Monitor writer Daniel B. Wood reports that in spite of widely reported criticism of Arizona's new law, 10 other states are now considering adopting laws to criminalize illegal immigration.  Colorado gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis, a Republican, has vowed to follow Arizona's lead.  The piece notes that Oklahoma and South Carolina are considering tougher sanctions on illegals and immigration bills have also been introduced in Idaho, Utah, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota and Colorado.  Not mentioned by Wood is the fact that the two leading candidates in California's GOP gubernatorial primary have also vowed to push for tougher sanctions on illegals.  According to Wood, three national polls have shown wide support for the Arizona law  in particular and crackdowns on illegals in general.  The President's recent mocking of the Arizona law and tacit acknowledgment that federal action on immigration is not feasible in the short term, have encouraged proponents of new anti-illegal immigrant laws.  "We should expect this trend of state-level activity to accelerate this year in the absence of federal legislation on immigration," said Villanova PolySci Professor Catherine Wilson.