After months of pressure from local immigration advocates and members of the public, and amid growing national frustration with immigration authorities, the Helena City Commission Monday night approved a resolution calling for its police officers to “avoid” assisting federal authorities with immigration enforcement.
The vote endorsing existing police department policies drew hundreds of members of the public to the City-County Building, filling the commission chamber and the three available overflow rooms to capacity, leaving those remaining to wait in the building hallways.
After nearly three hours of public comments and its own deliberation, the commission voted 4-1 in favor of a resolution that specifically instructs the Helena Police Department not to enter into a federal partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement known as a 287(g) agreement.
The resolution further states that the city of Helena will not disclose a person’s place of birth, immigration status or national origin, except when required by law or upon a valid court order.
The resolution also upholds the Helena Police Department’s current policy that it will not stop, investigate, detain or arrest anyone based on their immigration status or suspicion of violating immigration law. Additionally, the resolution calls on Helena police “to request” federal immigration officers to remove any masks and identify themselves when they feel it won’t interfere with federal actions.
“ I want to thank the community for showing up tonight,” said Commissioner Melinda Reed. “I want to thank the Helena Police Department for earning the trust of your community. I hope you heard it loud and clear tonight. I know I did.”
Commissioner Sean Logan, who cast the sole opposition vote, said that he wouldn’t support the resolution because he believes that the HPD’s current policies already address most public concerns and that the city shouldn’t weigh in on whether federal authorities can wear masks.
“ This will put our officers in a very difficult position and lends itself to the possibility of HPD interfering with or even obstructing federal law enforcement,” Logan said. “Also, it’s asking them to take action for which they have no authority.”
Advocacy groups Montana For Palestine, Waking Giant and Prickly Pear Housing Alliance began raising concerns about resident safety last summer after a Helena man was detained by immigration agents. In that instance, both local and county officers assisted federal officers.
Since then, advocates have attended almost every public city commission meeting, urging elected leaders to challenge federal procedures. Those demands intensified after the recent shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Before the vote, about 80 people spoke or submitted written comments in support of the resolution.
“ Commissioners, mayor, you are correct, you cannot control what federal law enforcement does, but you can expect what our Helena Police Department does and how you, as local city government, chooses to interact with ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies or not,” said Montana For Palestine co-leader Lily Clarke. “Here before you is your opportunity.”
Brian Miller, a Helena attorney who has worked on immigration cases at both the state and federal levels, said the concerns about potential risks to Helena officers are legitimate, but that the resolution is “a good first step.”
“ So what we need to do, I think, is tee this up, do a more comprehensive piece of legislation, and then in order to make sure that you don’t put your officers in a bad spot, you can sue the federal government in federal court and ask a judge to determine how far the lines are, because judges should be determining this,” Miller said. “Not Stephen Miller or Kristi Noem, or someone else who is following fascist ideologies.”
Prior to the commission meeting, Reed offered three amendments to the resolution, supported by immigration advocates, including one that would have strengthened language on whether federal authorities can wear masks in the city. All three of Reed’s amendments failed.
Separately, City attorney Rebecca Dockter raised concerns regarding amendments brought forward by members of the public and said those changes were redundant, vague and could potentially present local police with legal issues.
“ The ultimate aim of this resolution … was to support the practices and policies of the city of Helena, HPD that were already in place,” Dockter said during the meeting. “I don’t recommend adding other burdens or adding any other administrative responsibilities because what the HPD currently does is focus on the safety and protection of the citizens in the community of Helena already.”
Three people spoke in opposition to the resolution, maintaining that the country’s immigration issues began with the Biden administration.
“I feel like I, the black sheep in here,” one commentator said. “But I have many other people that I’ve talked to that don’t support the resolution. Safe cities are those that have law enforcement officers … that work together. The terrorized cities are the ones where, unfortunately, the law enforcement officers are being pitted against each other, and that’s insanity.”
Just an hour before the meetings, about 100 people rallied outside the City-County Building, mourning the recent deaths and voicing their support for the resolution’s passage.
Other Montana cities have been watching Helena’s response to immigration enforcement.
“ City Commissioners in Billings, Missoula have reached out as well as the Bozeman mayor,” Montana For Palestine and Waking Giant co-leader Ashley Fischer said during the meeting. “What you pass here tonight is going to be implemented in multiple cities across Montana.”
Missoula City Council Member Kristen Jordan told Montana Free Press she is working on a similar resolution.
More so, over the weekend, thousands of Montanans took to the streets to protest against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Rallies took place in Helena, Bozeman, Missoula and Billings in response to immigration enforcement-related killings.
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