Western State Governor Investigates Capital Over Immigration Enforcement Limits

A western state’s governor and attorney general are reportedly launching an investigation into potential violations of a statewide ban on sanctuary cities and sanctuary-jurisdictional policies, pledging zero tolerance for failure to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

The head of state told local media that he and the attorney general, both from the conservative faction, will investigate the capital city of Helena under legislation that permits civil legal action and enforcement of fines against jurisdictions found in violation. Both officials belong to the party that has traditionally taken a hardline stance on immigration enforcement.

“In the state, we don’t tolerate defiance and we support our law enforcement officers,” the governor reportedly stated to media outlets.

The investigation comes in response to the capital city’s commissioners’ vote to prevent local coordination with federal immigration enforcement, according to officials. The governor and attorney general announced the decision will be investigated as a potential violation of the sanctuary city ban originally authored by a conservative lawmaker from a rural district.

The head of state said he has “serious concerns” about the resolution’s compliance with state law and indicated that under the sanctuary city ban, no state or local agency may refuse to cooperate with federal authorities.

In a letter to the attorney general formally requesting his office’s cooperation, the governor laid out how “securing the border has been a top priority” of the current federal administration “after the previous administration let nearly 11 million illegal immigrants enter freely into the country under their watch.”

He referenced the current administration’s mass deportation efforts and said that it is unfortunate to see “recent events” elsewhere in the nation that have allegedly put immigration agents in danger.

In that regard, he described a recent capital city council vote as ordering local officers not to get involved in actions to assist other agencies nor to detain or stop a person based on suspicion of immigration law or status infractions.

“This resolution is clearly designed to obstruct federal law enforcement operations,” the governor reportedly said.

The attorney general told local media that the capital appears to be “thumbing its nose to the state legislature” and must understand it does not make state law. “I encourage [the city] to retain counsel [and] get a lobbyist…” he said in part.

A spokeswoman for the capital city told media outlets it had not received any formal communication on the matter from the governor, and added that “as a general practice, the city does not provide comment on pending or potential litigation matters.”

“[The capital’s] resolution was drafted with careful consideration of applicable local, state, and federal law, and the city believes the resolution is consistent with those legal requirements,” she said. “The city remains committed to upholding all applicable federal and state laws.”

The attorney general’s office signaled it is only officially looking at the capital, but local reports also pointed to concerns about the state’s second-largest city. A spokesperson for that municipality told local media it has never been and is not currently a sanctuary city, while adding that its police officers do not inquire about immigration status in public interactions.

The confrontation reflects broader tensions across the country as the federal government pursues stricter immigration enforcement policies, with some local jurisdictions seeking to limit their cooperation with federal authorities while state governments, particularly those controlled by conservative factions, move to enforce compliance.