State–Federal Law Enforcement Cooperation

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has warned Gallatin County that its handling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests for confidential criminal justice information (CCJI) is unlawful, after an email from a county attorney’s aide said the office does "not legally recognize" ICE as a law‑enforcement agency entitled to such data. In a letter to County Attorney Audrey Cromwell, Knudsen cites the state’s 2021 anti‑sanctuary law and argues that whether ICE is a "criminal justice agency" is defined by statute, not local discretion, and that Montana "supports cooperation" with federal immigration enforcement. Cromwell’s office denies there is any blanket policy restricting cooperation or information‑sharing with ICE, and says the disputed September incident involved a request for non‑public CCJI for a civil matter where ICE was not acting within the statutory definition of a criminal‑justice agency, calling the aide’s email a case‑specific legal determination rather than county policy. The dispute, emerging as DHS remains partially shut down and immigration enforcement politics are running hot, highlights how local legal interpretations of data‑sharing rules can effectively expand or blunt ICE’s reach even in states that formally ban sanctuary policies. Online, immigration‑hardline circles are portraying Gallatin County as a "shadow sanctuary" defying state law, while local officials insist they are following Montana’s CCJI statutes and case law, underscoring how much of this fight turns on technical definitions rather than the rhetoric both sides are trading.