State Immigration Enforcement and Sanctuary Laws

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen have opened an investigation into whether Helena’s new resolution limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement violates SB 200, the state’s 2019 ban on sanctuary cities and similar policies. Gianforte told Fox News Digital that the probe is meant as a warning to all local governments that refusing to work with DHS or ICE could trigger civil actions and fines under the statute authored by Republican state Rep. Kenneth Holmlund. The governor’s referral letter to Knudsen ties the move directly to President Trump’s mass‑deportation campaign and argues Helena’s directive—telling local officers not to assist other agencies or stop people based solely on immigration status—is designed to obstruct federal operations. Knudsen called the resolution an act of "thumbing its nose" at the Legislature and urged Helena to retain counsel, while a city spokeswoman said Helena has had no formal contact from state officials, insists the measure was drafted to comply with federal and state law, and maintains it will uphold all applicable laws. The confrontation positions Montana as the latest red state to test how far it can go in forcing localities to align with Trump‑era immigration enforcement, with national sanctuary‑city lawsuits and ICE tactics in places like Minnesota and Colorado as the backdrop.