West Cook News

Village of North Riverside President Joseph Mengoni has declared a state of emergency in response to the recent actions of bus operators and drivers making unscheduled and unpermitted intercity stops in neighboring Chicagoland suburbs.

The declaration, made under the authority of the North Riverside Municipal Code, cites the potential threat to public health, welfare and safety posed by the discharge of passengers ill-equipped to handle current and anticipated inclement weather conditions in the Chicagoland area.

“The nature of the emergency is the threatened occurrence of unscheduled intercity buses making stops and discharging passengers ni the Village of North Riverside during current and anticipated inclement weather conditions, thereby posing a threat to the health, safety and welfare of such passengers,” Mengoni said in the declaration.

Mengoni's statement highlights that the emergency declaration is based on the occurrence of similar actions by bus operators and drivers in nearby communities, including Cicero, Rosemont, Elmhurst and Naperville.

The Emergency Declaration was accompanied by an executive order from Mengoni.

Mengoni emphasized the urgent need to establish a policy for the stopping, standing and parking of intercity buses and the discharge of passengers within the village.

According to Mengoni, the policy is designed to provide a coordinated plan for handling unscheduled stops and passenger discharges during adverse weather conditions.

In it, Mengoni delegated authority to the Chief of Police of the Village of North Riverside to take all lawful actions necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents and visitors.

This includes the enforcement of the newly established policy and the authority to cite and take appropriate measures against individuals disobeying the Executive Order or the Policy.

In contrast, nearby Western Springs Village President Heidi Rudolph declared that the village is ready to support the safe and efficient boarding of Chicago-bound trains for illegal immigrants.

While Western Springs has not yet experienced migrant bus drop-offs, Rudolph states that the village remains prepared to provide temporary shelter and resources, maintaining an open approach without plans to restrict illegal immigrants who are passing through.

Other neighboring suburbs, including Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, have enacted ordinances limiting options for bus operators and responding to the increasing frequency of daily drop-offs.

Those ordinances were prompted by Chicago's rules threatening fines and impoundment of unannounced buses carrying illegal immigrants, resulting in Texas redirecting buses to suburban locations.

During a recent Hinsdale Village Board meeting where drop-offs were prohibited, officials reported being notified by a bus driver that such occurrences were expected to continue through March.

The frequency of daily drop-offs throughout the state has varied, often exceeding 10 instances and, at times, approaching 800 people per day.