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Each of Wisconsin's 72 counties are currently participating in the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement's Secure Communities strategy, which uses fingerprints to identify both legal and illegal immigrants that are booked on criminal charges, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The program, which reportedly targets hardened criminals, was criticized recently in a report by the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights. After analyzing federal data from 2008 through last July, the group said that more than three-quarters of the approximately 630 illegal immigrants in Illinois who had been turned over to authorities under the program did not have prior criminal convictions.

Still, law enforcement officials in Wisconsin say that the program can help assist the federal government in cracking down on illegal immigration.

"Right now immigration is a very passionate and emotional issue, and that's replaced reason and logic when it comes to the enforcement of immigration policy," said Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. "We don't enforce immigration at the local level. It's a federal issue. But as sheriff we do have a role in sharing information with any legitimate law enforcement agency for lawful purposes."

Whether or not the Secure Communities program is implemented throughout the country, foreigners can still obtain U.S. green card eligibility through the federal EB-5 visa program. To do so, foreign nationals must invest $1 million (or $500,000 in some areas) in an American project or company that creates or maintains at least 10 full-time jobs.