Montana’s Republican attorney general announced on Wednesday that he's investigating the city of Helena for potential breaches of the state’s sanctuary city ban. This investigation comes shortly after city officials passed a resolution aimed at discouraging cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The attorney general, Austin Knudsen, highlighted that the resolution may lead to a fine of up to $10,000 every five days if Helena is found in violation of a 2021 state law that requires local authorities to engage with federal immigration agents. During a press conference, Knudsen accused the City Council of Helena of disregarding the legislature's intentions behind the law, remarking, 'This is clearly the City Council of Helena thumbing its nose at the Montana Legislature.' The Helena resolution indicates that city officials will refrain from sharing sensitive information regarding an individual’s immigration status or national origin with outside agencies. In response to the state's investigation, Helena officials acknowledged awareness of Knudsen's announcement but stated they had not yet received official notice. They defended their resolution, asserting it aligns with existing legal standards. Nearly half of U.S. states have enacted measures against sanctuary cities, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an advocacy group from Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, local tensions continue to rise as the Trump administration's aggressive stance on immigration enforcement remains a point of contention across various states.