Hispanic athletes and athletes that are not citizens of the United States should boycott sporting events played in the state of Arizona in response to Arizona Senate Bill 1070.SB 1070 is a collection of “provisions that are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.”The intent of this bill seems earnest, but the means it provides for the execution of its objective is controversial to say the least.Section 2, Article 8, paragraph B of the bill states: “For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person.”Basically, this law allows police officers to stop anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant and asking them to present identification.What constitutes “lawful contact?”The police have an arsenal of reasons to make lawful contact with an individual: fitting the description of a suspect, reckless driving, speeding, suspicious activity, etc.   I for one have been stopped for not having a license plate light on at night, which is rather ridiculous considering a license plate reflects when light shines on it, illuminating the number.The point is the police will find a reason to stop someone if they want.Sure enough, this law has drawn a great deal of protest from the Hispanic population in Arizona — and rightfully so. The police now essentially have the power to racially profile citizens and request identification.Since the bill’s ratification, it has been amended to not allow race to be a reason for suspicion, but what other reason would an officer have to request identification?Texas Gov. Rick Perry even finds this law a tad too extreme.”I fully recognize and support a state’s right and obligation to protect its citizens, but I have concerns with portions of the law passed in Arizona and believe it would not be the right direction for Texas,” Perry said in a news release.The option to secede was one Texas would consider, Perry once said at a tea party rally.”Texas is a unique place,” Perry told a crowd in Austin. “When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that. My hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention. We’ve got a great union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that.”If this law is too extreme for Perry, that should say something. But where do the boycotts by athletes come into play?The professional sports franchises in Arizona all have athletes that aren’t citizens of the U.S. Whether it is Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra or Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa, all of the players who are in the country legally can now be harassed by the police.This even applies to the Phoenix Suns’ two-time MVP, Canadian point guard Steve Nash.Nash could hypothetically be detained if he failed to present the proper identification if he were stopped by the police.Let’s say he leaves his home to make a quick store run and doesn’t bring his ID. He doesn’t signal before he changes lanes and gets stopped by a police officer. The officer asks for his ID, and Nash can’t provide it. He could be detained — which is ridiculous. The Suns wore their “Los Suns” jerseys, orginally intended for a Latino night promotion, during game two of their Western Conference semifinals matchup Wednesday night, and the Spurs are expected to wear their equivalent when the series moves to San Antonio. The Sun’s support for the population affected by this law change is a powerful gesture.Part of what makes professional sports great is the same thing that makes America great: diversity.This law attacks diversity, and the athletic community should boycott games in the state until it’s changed — or at least continue to support its repeal. The Arizona legislature needs to change this law. All it does is use the state’s money to try and trim the hedges of the illegal immigration issue instead of handling the problem at its source, which is illegal immigration in the first place.     Amos Morale is a 22-year-old history senior from Houston. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_amosmorale3._____Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]