Montana AG on Undocumented Immigrants Possibly Coming to Montana

With the strong surge of undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border, there have been reports that the Biden Administration may be planning to airlift an undetermined number to the northern Border States like Montana.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen spoke to KGVO News on Tuesday afternoon.

“Well, we heard some of the same reports coming out of Customs and Border Patrol on the southern border that they were completely overwhelmed and they were considering shipping some of these unprocessed undocumented aliens into the northern tier states where our less busy customs and border patrol officers up here could help out," said Knudsen.

Knudsen said he and Governor Gianforte immediately contacted Homeland Security and ICE officials about the rumor.

“’Governor Gianforte and I fired off a quick letter this weekend to the Department of Homeland Security expressing our very blunt and frank opposition to that," he said. "We did receive a response back from an Acting Deputy Secretary telling us that currently there were no plans but that doesn't mean that those plans couldn't change currently, but I think that's the key word there. Currently.”

Knudsen said his chief concern is the increased trafficking of drugs, specifically methamphetamine in Montana

“The fact is, we know, and we can prove, that 100% of the methamphetamine and most of the dangerous drugs that come into the state are smuggled in across the southern border," he said. "If we're going to throw the southern border wide open, we are asking for more and more of these known cartel associates to start making their way to Montana and don't kid yourself, and don't let anyone tell you any different; the Mexican cartels are here in Montana and they are actively trafficking almost all the methamphetamine in the state."

Knudsen speculated that politics may be one reason why there are plans to send the undocumented people to Red States like Montana.

“It's hard to look at actions like this from the Biden administration and not say that this is some sort of political retribution," he said. "You start talking about the northern tier states, especially the western states like Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming are obviously deep red states in what the President and his coastal buddies consider flyover country. We've been very critical of him in his policies. Like I said, it's hard to look at a proposed action like this and not think this is some sort of political retribution.”

Knudsen said as of yet, there are no confirmed reports of any such actions from the southern border, but he and Governor Gianforte stand ready in case they may occur.