Governor Gianforte Promises ‘Penalties’ For Montana Sanctuary Cities

The topic of immigration continues to create conversation about how local and state governments are working together (or not working together) to abide federal law while cracking down on those in our country illegally.

The subject of "sanctuary cities" continues to come up and now, Governor Gianforte is doubling down on his stance on the matter following his announcement of an investigation into the city of Helena.

Are There Any Sanctuary Cities in Montana?

The simple answer is "no, they're not."

But the real answer is something closer to "There shouldn't be."

According to Montana Code Annotated 2-1-601 to 605, sanctuary cities are banned and outlawed in the state of Montana. That said, the City of Helena recently made headlines when they announced a City Resolution pertaining to local law enforcement and ICE.

READ MORE: ICE Agents Track Down & Arrest Dangerous Meth Dealer in Montana

According to their resolution, Helena police can avoid "committing its resources to federal actions for which it has no authority including avoiding any actions that would commit it to a 287(g)-agreement pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act."

The resolution caught the attention of Governor Gianforte who, along with the Attorney General of Montana Austin Knudsen, announced a formal investigation into the City of Helena for potentially violating state law.

Governor Gianforte Doubles Down, Issues Warning to Would-Be Sanctuary Cities

Governor Gianforte caught up with Fox News and shared his honest thoughts about Helena's resolution.

"This resolution is clearly designed to obstruct federal law enforcement operations," Gianforte told Fox News.

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"In Montana, we don’t tolerate defiance and we support our law enforcement officers."

Governor Gianforte made it clear to cities across the state that there is zero tolerance for violating Montana's sanctuary city ban.

"While the attorney general’s initial investigation will focus on the city of Helena, we’re really sending a message to all local governments across the state," Gianforte told Fox.

"If you are found to be in violation of state law, there will be penalties."