To be honest, I find this news quite refreshing. As a UK citizen, I've often felt that we're too lenient on immigration compared to the likes of Australia, NZ and obviously the US.

The government is facing a serious problem over the illegal immigration issue and I suspect that this is one way they're tackling it.
(Oh, and if US citizens are starting to feel harassed by UK immigration, I think it might be a wake up call as to why the US is starting to lose its appeal as a holiday destination amongst many brits...)