A state investigation into a Helena city resolution is raising crucial questions about municipal rights, with the League of Cities and Towns’ director accusing the state of persistently undermining local authority for six years. Advocates for Helena’s refugees are questioning the investigation, which examines if the city’s resolution breaches a statewide sanctuary city ban. The Helena City Commission’s January resolution aimed to limit federal law enforcement, reiterating long-standing city policies.
Governor Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen recently declared the resolution might be illegal, threatening Helena and other cities with penalties. Their announcement ignited concerns among advocates for local jurisdictions and refugees. Questions arise about the portrayal of legal refugees and immigrants. Public inquiries to city councils statewide demand protection for immigrants.
Signed by Gianforte in 2021, House Bill 200 prohibits sanctuary cities in Montana. However, Montana lacks sanctuary cities, a term describing certain city laws on federal information sharing. Montana League of Cities and Towns Executive Director Kelly Lynch opposed HB 200, citing ongoing state-city power struggles, including over gun laws.
“In Montana, we don’t tolerate defiance,” Gianforte stated during the press conference, citing the flow of fentanyl from Mexico and Canada as a crime factor. Advocates argue the focus on illegal immigration unjustly targets all immigrants, despite a lack of data supporting higher crime rates among immigrants compared to U.S.-born citizens.
Texas, the only state requiring immigration status in criminal records, found undocumented immigrants commit fewer crimes than natives. “Undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes,” a National Institute of Justice report states. Helena Area Refugee Resettlement Team’s Valerie Hellermann emphasizes that immigrants contribute positively, often working demanding jobs.
Refugees and asylum seekers have a net positive fiscal impact, contributing $123 billion from 2005 to 2019. Refugees undergo extensive screening, waiting 17 years on average to settle in the U.S. Asylum seekers face rigorous entry processes, with 100 million globally displaced in 2022. Misconceptions persist that undocumented immigrants receive social benefits, but Hellermann clarifies they often lack financial resources for legal status processes and struggle without aid.
