State of Montana Newsroom
Governor Gianforte, Attorney General Knudsen Investigate Potential Violation of Montana’s Sanctuary City Ban
Respond to vote of Helena City Commission to prevent local coordination with federal immigration enforcement
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen today announced the state will investigate recent actions taken by local governments that may be in violation of Montana’s sanctuary city ban. The announcement comes after the Helena City Commission voted on a resolution that prevents local law enforcement officers from assisting federal immigration law enforcement operations.
“In 2021, I signed House Bill 200 into law that explicitly bans sanctuary city policies in Montana and under this law, no state or local government may enact policies that refuse cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Recently, the Helena City Commission passed a resolution that raises serious concerns about its compliance with state law. Together with Attorney General Knudsen, today we are announcing an investigation into this recent action.”
Gov. Gianforte (right) and Attorney General Knudsen (left) speaking during a press conference at the Montana State Capitol
In 2021, the legislature passed and the governor signed House Bill 200 (HB 200) into law to ban sanctuary cities in Montana by requiring state and local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration law. The law allows the state’s attorney general to pursue civil action against jurisdictions that are found in violation of the law.
Yesterday, Gov. Gianforte wrote a letter to Attorney General Knudsen to formally request that the Montana Department of Justice open an investigation into recent actions taken by local governments across the State of Montana that may be in violation of the law.
In the letter, the governor outlines the directive from President Donald J. Trump to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to lead efforts to deport criminals who are in the country illegally.
“These agents serve a vital role in keeping our country safe. It’s also important that agents within those agencies follow the law,” the governor wrote.
He continued, “Unfortunately, recent events across our nation have put the men and women of ICE and CBP in difficult situations that have resulted in the loss of life. I’m grateful President Trump and his administration are committed to fully investigating any tragedy. However, these recent events are not a license for local governments across our state to ignore laws enacted by the Montana State Legislature.”
In a press conference held at the state capitol, the governor and attorney general announced the opening of an investigation and discussed next steps.
“Governor Gianforte and the 2021 state legislature ensured local governments’ cooperation with federal immigration officers and charged my office with enforcement of this law. Together, we are keeping our promise to Montanans to work with our federal partners so they can effectively do their jobs and help us keep our streets and families safe,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “Today, we begin our investigation into the City of Helena following its recent misguided resolution and send a warning to every other local government to follow the law or face the consequences provided for in statute.”
If violations are found, according to HB 200, any local government or state agency may be fined up to $10,000 for every five days it does not comply with state law. If the Department of Justice determines any jurisdiction is not in compliance, funds distributed to those jurisdictions from the Montana Department of Commerce, including the Coal Endowment Program or the Montana Coal Board, may be halted.
The governor’s letter to the attorney general can be viewed here. A livestream of the press conference can be viewed here.
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