Montana Attorney General Signs Immigration Enforcement Agreement with Trump Administration

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen today announced an immigration enforcement agreement with President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agreement will authorize Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) troopers and Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents to arrest illegal aliens in Montana and work together with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport them.

Attorney General Knudsen stated, “President Trump’s commitment to cracking down on illegal immigration and securing our nation’s southern border is unmatched. On the contrary, over the last four years, Joe Biden’s open border policies made every state a border state. Just recently, we saw firsthand in Montana the negative impact of Biden’s policies as six Venezuelan gang members were arrested in Gallatin County. This agreement will allow MHP and DCI to work hand in hand with federal immigration officials to stop illegal immigration and keep Montana families safe.”

Last week, ICE arrested six members of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua in Gallatin County. The Denver Homeland Security Investigations Office, working with the DEA and ATF, confirmed the operation in Bozeman and Belgrade, with local law enforcement also verifying the arrests. Tren de Aragua is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Federal Government.

Following ICE training, some MHP troopers and DCI agents will have the authority to enforce certain immigration laws, including:

• Interrogating and arresting illegal aliens,
• Serving and executing warrants of arrest for immigration violations,
• Issuing immigration detainers.

The agreement was reached under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security “to enter into written agreements with a State or any political subdivision of a State so that qualified officers and employees can perform certain functions of an immigration officer.”

In a press release, the Attorney General’s office stated, “The agreement will assist the Trump Administration in their efforts to enforce immigration law, hold criminal illegal aliens accountable, and secure the southern border. It will also help keep Montana families and communities safe as criminal illegal aliens pose a significant public safety threat to the public.”