Milwaukee's new police chief says he will not change the city's policy that prohibits local police from inquiring about witnesses' immigration status.

"Over the last year, thousands of illegal immigrants and their families who live here have retreated from community life in Waukegan, a microcosm of a growing underground of illegal immigrants across the country who are clinging to homes and jobs despite the pressure of tougher federal and local enforcement," reports The New York Times.

More than 30 local law enforcement agencies around the country have entered agreements with the U.S. government to help enforce federal immigration laws. Twenty-six local agencies have signed up to participate in the government's 287(g) program in just the last year, and 80 more agencies are seeking to join.