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

The Milwaukee-based author of the blog One Step Closer blogged yesterday about how the volatile national debate over immigration has affected her own neighborhood and family, and explains why she is happy about this news:  "I want to know I can call the police to our house without worrying and keep encouraging anyone who is a victim or a witness to be a good resident, by reporting crimes and speaking out against injustice."

At a time when immigrants living in many cities across the country are retreating from public life out of fear of being deported, it is good to know that some local leaders are willing to take a stand to ensure everyone in their community feels safe going to the police.