Montana launches probe into Helena sanctuary city resolution

Gov. Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced at the Montana State Capitol on Feb. 11, 2026 that the Montana Department of Justice is launching an investigation into Helena after the Helena City Commission passed a resolution limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The commission’s measure, identified as Resolution 21062, was signed Jan. 26, 2026, and city documents and press reports say it restricts disclosure of sensitive information including immigration status.

State officials said the probe is being brought under House Bill 200, the 2021 law codified at Montana Code Annotated 2-1-601 through 2-1-605 that bans sanctuary-city policies. The DOJ press release and the governor’s office note the attorney general may monitor compliance, investigate complaints, and bring civil actions against state or local governments found to be in violation of HB 200.

Gianforte framed the action as enforcement of that law, saying, “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.” He added in the same announcement that the Helena resolution “raises serious concerns about its compliance with state law. Together with Attorney General Knudsen, today we are announcing an investigation into this recent action.”

At the February 11 press conference, Knudsen criticized the Helena body and outlined possible penalties, saying, “This is clearly the City Council of Helena thumbing its nose at the Montana Legislature.” The attorney general and multiple reports cited civil fines of up to $10,000 for every five days a jurisdiction is found to be in violation, and the Missoulacurrent coverage warned state funds could also be withheld, including from the Montana coal board and the coal board endowment program.

Helena city officials responded through the city’s statement as reported by a local outlet, saying the city “had not received any formal notice of an investigation from either the governor or the attorney general” and that it “does not comment on pending or potential litigation.” The statement defended Resolution 21062 as having been “drafted with careful consideration of applicable local, state, and federal law” and said the city “remains committed to upholding all applicable federal and state laws.”

The resolution’s reported text prohibits local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration operations and instructs city officials not to disclose “any sensitive information,” such as a person’s immigration status or national origin, language the Associated Press reported from city documents. News Mt and the governor’s office also reported that Gianforte sent a letter to Knudsen on Feb. 10 requesting the DOJ open an inquiry into recent local-government actions that may violate HB 200.

The announcement lands amid national debate over sanctuary policies; AP noted heightened tensions around federal immigration enforcement and President Donald Trump’s remarks about cutting off funding to jurisdictions labeled as sanctuary cities. The DOJ’s investigation could lead to civil litigation under HB 200 if investigators find noncompliance; local reporters and officials say obtaining the full text of Resolution 21062 and any formal notice from the DOJ will be among the next key documents for determining how the dispute over Helena’s ordinance proceeds.