Frustrations have been boiling over on the heels of two people being killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis, but the anger is not limited to Minnesota.
Many people have been showing up at city council meetings in Billings and other Montana cities to voice their opinions.
The majority in Billings, but not all, are asking the council to keep ICE out.
“I’ve had numerous. I’ve lost count of emails,” says Billings Ward 3 council member Amy Aguirre, who was elected in November.
Watch Amy Aguirre express her concerns:
Aguirre, who is the first woman of color on the council, says she stands in solidarity with those who are concerned about the tactics the Trump administration is using in Minnesota.
“I can’t speak for council, and I can’t for the police chief, but as one individual voting member, I will absolutely do what I can to prevent anything from happening. My biggest concern is where our country sits,” she says.
In recent weeks, the Billings City Council has heard from people with different takes.
“We do have Venezuelan refugees. We do have Iranian refugees. And I'm really happy that they're here,” Billings resident Jennifer Strong said during a Jan. 20 meeting. “However, I also know for a very good fact that we have people here who are not here legally. And I do want my children to be safe. I do want our police to follow federal law."
Another resident, Paul Clark, expressed frustration with the ICE protests in Minnesota.
“I think what we're coming across there in Minnesota is agitation. And I believe that the ICE agents are doing what they are doing by the Constitution,” said Clark.
Watch lawmakers spar over ICE presence in local jurisdictions:
Democratic Montana state Sen. Ellie Boldman of Missoula has announced she plans to present a trio of bills restricting ICE.
The bills would order federal agents remove their masks, stay out of protected spaces and be held legally accountable for violating rights.
The protected spaces would include schools, day cares, health facilities, libraries, religious institutions, shelters and workplaces.
“In Montana, we don’t do SECRET POLICE. Last week, I introduced legislation to rein in ICE and restore transparency, due process, and send our own message from Montana: Masked agents. No names. No accountability. That’s not public safety — and it’s not constitutional,” said Bolman in a written Facebook post.
Republican Montana state Sen. Barry Usher of Billings opposes the idea of these bills.
“There's a supremacy clause in the Constitution that we cannot dictate what federal law enforcement does or doesn't do,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
Usher said he supports peaceful protesting, but not when it interferes with federal agents.
“I think people just need to calm down and understand that, hey, you know, nobody should be getting hurt. Nobody should be violating anybody's rights,” he said.
“If we all do what we're supposed to do, then it all works well. As soon as you start getting in the middle and clashing, that's when chaos happens,” he added.
MTN reached out to Ellie Boldman for comment, but she was unavailable.
While Billings has not taken any official action on federal law enforcement presence in town, other cities in Montana are.
This week, Helena’s City Commission voted in favor of a resolution that leaders say reinforces limits on when police will cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Three Montana counties—Garfield, Gallatin, and Flathead, along with the Montana Department of Justice— have what are known as 287G agreements that deputize law enforcement to perform some functions of federal agents.
Yellowstone County does not have one.
“We will not hold anyone just strictly on an immigration hold or being in the country illegally. We can’t do that. That’s a civil violation,” says Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder.
Linder says at last check there were seven federal holds in the Yellowstone County jail. He notes that all of those inmates were booked for separate crimes not related to their immigration status.
Billings City Council member Kendra Shaw said Wednesday afternoon that the city council has little power when it comes to ICE.
“If ICE agents do come to our community, the city can't keep them out,” she said.
Meanwhile, Aguirre says she has been talking to some of the members of the council about what Billings might be able to do in a public way.
“In a policy way, I don’t know if there’s a whole lot that we can do, but express to our constituents how this matters to us. Because it does,” she says.
Aguirre grew up in Billings and is executive director of a nonprofit that offers support for women recovering from addiction and domestic violence.
As the descendant of farm workers and migrants, she feels the crackdown on immigration is personal.
“I’m Mexican and proud of it, yes. I can’t tell you how many times I just want to cry out of sheer frustration and anger,” she says.
Aguirre says her brother is in Minneapolis right now, where he works with an organization that helps at-risk families.
“This disruption into their lives is both inhumane and unwarranted,” she says.
