Immigration

died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 3136: Prohibit business licenses/contracts/grants for NGO’s transporting or assisting illegal aliens

LC 3136 would have prohibited state government from issuing business licenses, contracts, or grants to nonprofit organizations that transport or assist undocumented immigrants. It directly affected nonprofit groups providing immigration-related services, such as legal aid or transportation support. The bill aimed to cut off state funding for such organizations by banning government financial agreements with them. However, the bill never advanced beyond drafting and died in process on May 27, 2025, so it did not become law.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill prohibits state funding for NGOs assisting undocumented immigrants, directly defunding immigration-related services and restricting access to support.90% confidence

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died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 3137: Provide deportation from the state of Montana

Bill LC 3137, titled "Provide deportation from the state of Montana," was assigned to a drafter in December 2024 but died in process by May 2025. The bill's title is unclear and does not specify a mechanism for deportation, as deportation is typically a federal authority, not a state function. Since it did not advance beyond drafting, it did not become law or affect any policies or individuals.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill title "Provide deportation" explicitly references deportation, a core enforcement action restricting immigrant presence. Despite unclear mechanism and inaction, intent aligns with opposing immigrant protections.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Enforcement

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died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 2757: Require use of E-verify for employment

This bill (LC 2757) proposed requiring all employers in the state to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the work authorization of new hires. It would have directly affected businesses of all sizes hiring employees, mandating electronic verification of immigration status instead of relying on paper I-9 forms alone. The key provision would have required employers to check all new employees against federal databases before hiring. However, the bill never advanced beyond the drafting stage, as it was placed "On Hold" in December 2024 and later "Died in Process" in May 2025. No policy changes were enacted under this bill.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationMandates E-Verify for all employers, requiring state-level cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, restricting undocumented workers' access to jobs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs Work Authorization

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died · Montana · Legislature May 27, 2025

LC 2914: Make returning after deportation a state crime

This bill (LC 2914) proposed making it a state crime for someone who has been deported to return to the state. It would have directly affected individuals previously deported from the state who re-entered. The bill never advanced beyond the drafting stage and died in process in May 2025, so it did not become law or affect anyone.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating a new state offense for re-entry after deportation, directly increasing penalties for a specific group without reform intent.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill criminalizes re-entry after deportation, increasing state immigration enforcement and restricting immigrant movement directly.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Enforcement

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 755: Prohibit ownership of private property within state by certain foreign individuals and entities

HB 755 sought to prohibit certain non-resident aliens and foreign entities from owning real property within the state. The bill defined "alien" as any person not a U.S. citizen or national and not a resident of the state, and "foreign entity" as one organized or principally based in a foreign country. If an affected individual or entity owned property, they would be required to divest within six months, after which the property could be sold at public auction. The Attorney General or county attorney would have been able to enforce these provisions, which were set to apply to property purchased on or after January 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRestricts property ownership for non-resident aliens and foreign entities, limiting immigrant protections as defined by bill's scope.95% confidence

Track

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 361: Provide funding to school districts for English language learners

House Bill 361 sought to establish state funding for school districts serving English language learners and provide professional stipends for their teachers. It proposed state matching funds for public school districts that receive federal subgrants for programs supporting students with limited English proficiency. The bill also aimed to provide annual stipends of up to $500 for qualified teachers holding specific certifications in English as a Second Language or culturally and linguistically diverse education. Teachers meeting these qualifications and working in high-poverty or impacted schools could receive an enhanced stipend of up to $1,000, with both the state and school districts contributing to these payments.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates state funding for ELL programs and teacher stipends under school finance appropriations, directly advancing budgetary support for education services.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides state funding for ESL programs and $500 teacher stipends, directly advancing educational support for language learners and teachers in K-12 schools.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationFunds ELL programs, directly supporting immigrant students' educational access and integration, aligning with 'provides immigrant services' indicator.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding Teachers

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 896: Prohibit harboring or assisting illegal aliens

HB 896 aimed to expand Montana's obstructing justice laws by redefining who is considered "an offender." Under this bill, "an offender" would include individuals who have entered the United States unlawfully or have not complied with their immigration status conditions. Consequently, a person could be charged with obstructing justice for knowingly harboring, assisting, or preventing the discovery or apprehension of such individuals. The bill also included a $500 appropriation to the Department of Justice to notify local law enforcement agencies and county attorneys about these new requirements.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by redefining 'obstructing justice' to include harboring undocumented immigrants, increasing penalties without reform focus.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill criminalizes harboring undocumented immigrants, expanding state enforcement against them under obstructing justice laws.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 805: Generally revise workers' compensation laws

HB 805 aims to revise existing workers' compensation laws. The bill would make individuals who are unlawfully employed aliens ineligible to receive workers' compensation benefits. Additionally, it mandates that an insurer must close a workers' compensation claim if the claimant leaves the United States or certain territories while their claim is active. These changes directly affect individuals applying for workers' compensation and the insurers responsible for processing claims.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationDenies workers' comp benefits to unlawfully employed aliens, restricting access to state services based on immigration status per bill's explicit language.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRestricts workers' compensation eligibility for unlawfully employed aliens and claimants leaving the US, directly limiting access to benefits under labor protections.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 469: Revise the exemption for out-of-state driver's licenses

HB 469 revises state law regarding the recognition of out-of-state driver's licenses for non-residents operating motor vehicles. The bill clarifies that a non-resident's license is not valid if it belongs to a class of licenses issued exclusively to individuals unlawfully present in the United States. It mandates the Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Justice to establish rules for identifying and classifying these specific out-of-state licenses.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRestricts driver's license access for undocumented immigrants by invalidating out-of-state licenses issued to unlawfully present individuals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs

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signed · Montana · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 214: Provide for prosecution of state crimes for persons subject to federal immigration detention

HB 214 allows Montana to prosecute individuals for state criminal offenses even if they are in federal immigration detention for immigration violations. It directly affects people detained under federal immigration authority who commit crimes in Montana. The bill's key provision permits state prosecutors to initiate criminal cases against these individuals and requires Montana to hold them until their state trial concludes before transferring them to federal custody. This law, signed by the governor on April 7, 2025, amends state procedures to coordinate state criminal proceedings with federal immigration processes.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationAllows Montana to prosecute immigrants in federal detention for state crimes, increasing state-level immigration enforcement and mandating state custody during trials.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies