Republican Governor Launches Investigation Into Possible Violation Of Sanctuary City Ban

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and the state’s attorney general, Austin Knudsen, have launched an investigation into potential violations of a statewide ban on sanctuary cities.

“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,” a release from Gianforte’s office read.

“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,” 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,” he continued.

“In Montana, we don’t tolerate defiance and we support our law enforcement officers,” the Republican governor wrote on X.

“The Legislature expects the executive branch to enforce the laws we pass. I’m glad to see the Governor and Attorney General investigating the City of Helena for potential violations of Montana’s laws against sanctuary cities. Helena property tax payers should be outraged at… pic.twitter.com/aA4LPot0gJ

— Montana Senate Republicans (@MTSenateGOP) February 11, 2026

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In response to the investigation, the City of Helena said its resolution abides by local, state and federal law. Republican officials urged Helena and other cities to focus on issues under their domain, such as potholes, but a Democratic lawmaker from Helena called the investigation a PR stunt.

“We still have rights and freedoms in our country, and that includes people of color,” Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell told the Daily Montanan. “That’s the issue, here, not whether the city of Helena is violating a stupid, hate-filled, racist law.”

The law Gianforte signed was passed as House Bill 200 to prohibit sanctuary cities, which generally do not fully cooperate with federal immigration laws in order to protect the safety of all residents.

Montana’s law says state agencies or local governments may not enact or enforce a policy that restricts government employees from “sending to, receiving from, exchanging with, or maintaining for a federal, state, or local government entity information regarding a person’s citizenship or immigration status for a lawful purpose.”

The Helena City Commission signed its resolution on Jan. 26 with overwhelming support from members of the public, as concern about aggressive federal immigration enforcement around the nation has increased and has affected even small communities in Montana.

In a statement, the City of Helena said it was aware of an announcement from Gianforte’s office regarding a potential investigation into its city policy:

“At this time, the City has not received any official notice or formal communication from the Governor’s Office or the Montana Attorney General’s Office regarding this matter. As a general practice, the City does not provide comment on pending or potential litigation matters,” the City of Helena statement reads. It goes on to say the city remains committed to “upholding all applicable federal and state laws.”

The resolution states the city “shall not disclose” sensitive information about any person to outside agencies or individuals, including a person’s immigration status or national origin, except as required by local laws or with a valid court order.