Riverside officials outline limits of local policing under Illinois Trust Act, direct staff to draft clearer welcoming language

President John Pollock opened the Nov. 6 Village of Riverside Board of Trustees meeting with an update on the Illinois Trust Act and immigrant rights, saying the village is concerned about recent immigration-enforcement activity in the region and wants residents to know how local policy and operations work.

Village attorney Robert (Bob) Pickerel summarized the law for the board and public, telling the trustees that immigration is governed by federal law and that Illinois's Trust Act limits local involvement with federal immigration enforcement. "Riverside PD will not stop, detain, search, or arrest anyone based on their immigration status," Pickerel said. He added that, under the statute, local officers "do not give any resources or assist in any way with federal immigration enforcement" and that staff will post attorney-general guidance on the village website.

Police Chief and Public Safety Director Matt Buckley told the board the Riverside Police Department will respond to reports of suspicious activity and will enforce Illinois and local criminal law but will not assist federal civil immigration enforcement. "We will never assist any federal agency with civil immigration enforcement," Buckley said, adding that officers are trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation and receive monthly law updates.

Manager Francis described a new webpage the village will publish with frequently asked questions and links to Illinois Attorney General resources, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and other materials; the manager said the page will include translation links and a banner hyperlink on the village site.

During public comment, resident Erin Berzachudek, a permanent resident who said she was born in Canada, urged the board to adopt a more explicit welcoming ordinance that would "prohibit threats based on citizenship status," bar collection or sharing of immigration-status information, prohibit any federal registry initiative at the local level, and ensure town resources are available in multiple languages. She said the current uncertainty creates anxiety for immigrant residents and families.

President Pollock said he and staff will work on more explicit welcoming language and bring draft language back to the board at the Nov. 20 meeting, a direction several trustees supported. The board did not take a formal (roll-call) vote on the ordinance at the Nov. 6 meeting.

What this means: Riverside will continue to emphasize public safety and local criminal-law enforcement while stopping short of assisting federal immigration operations. The village will publish resources and FAQs and will pursue updated written policy language addressing resident concerns about threats, information collection, and language access.