Montana Immigration Arrests Have Now Topped 250 In 2026

Montana Has Seen More Than 250 Immigration Enforcement Arrests In 2026

So far in 2026, there have been more than 250 immigration enforcement arrests in Montana. That's according to a Montana law firm that has been challenging some of those arrests in federal court.

Upper Seven Law says it has been tracking arrests involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and estimates the total has now topped 250.

Upper Seven Law Says 40 People Have Been Released From Immigration Detention

You may remember the name Upper Seven Law from some of the previous stories we've covered before.

Last month, a federal judge ordered 24 people released from the Cascade County Detention Center after finding that immigration officers had arrested them without taking the required legal steps before keeping them in custody. It all started after Jesus Hernandez was arrested by Border Patrol agents near Lewistown without a warrant.

Now, Upper Seven says its legal efforts have resulted in the release of 40 people from immigration detention.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 22: An ICE patch and badge are seen on a Department of Homeland Security agent while US Vice President JD Vance speaks U.S. Vice President JD Vance gives remarks following a roundtable discussion with local leaders and community members amid a surge of federal immigration authorities in the area, at Royalston Square on January 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000-plus federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region. (Photo by Jim Watson - Pool/Getty Images)

Upper Seven Law Is Asking For Warrants For Some Montana Immigration Arrests

The firm is also asking a federal judge to require warrants for certain immigration arrests in Montana. They have filed a class-action complaint against ICE, CBP, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice, arguing that federal officials have been making arrests without following required procedures.

Upper Seven litigation director Molly Danahy told KTVQ, "All we're doing here is asking the government to follow its own laws."

To be clear, the more-than-250 figure is an estimate from Upper Seven Law, not an official statewide count. Danahy said the firm didn't have a complete record of CBP arrests until these recent court cases began.