News & Commentary

The ACLU of Montana is profoundly disturbed by the recent reports in Canada of unmarked mass gravesites at currently 6 of the 139 Indian boarding schools. Over 1,300 children and innumerable future generations were taken by the racist, genocidal settler-colonial project of Canada. Moreover, the Indigenous staff members of the ACLU of Montana remain resolute and express love and solidarity to the First Nations community members after the most recent revelation of 751 children buried at the site of the Marieval Indian Residential School in Cowessess Indian Reserve No. 73, Saskatchewan, Canada, and 182 children at the site of the St. Eugene’s Mission Residential School in Cranbrook, Canada.  

The ACLU of Montana is concerned about reports that Montana will not only renew its private prison contract with CoreCivic but will increase the number of people incarcerated at the Shelby facility by crowding more people into existing cells. 

Yesterday, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen released an Attorney General’s Opinion (AGO) asserting that teaching critical race theory or principles of anti-racism in Montana public schools violates federal and state law. This inflammatory AGO does not and cannot change the fact that teaching Montana students about the essential role that racism has played in creating and perpetuating systemic inequality in our country is not only vitally important but legally permissible.  

The Montana Racial Equity Project (MTREP) and the ACLU of Montana have sent a letter to Rachel Harlow-Schalk, Helena City Manager, regarding serious concerns with the City of Helena’s School Resource Officer (SRO) MOU Working Group. This Working Group was formed after an intense community discussion regarding SROs during July’s City Council meeting. The original stated purpose of this group was to have a robust discussion surrounding the purpose and utility of having SROs in Helena school districts. However, no such discussion has taken place at these meetings.

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund (NARF) today challenged two new Montana laws that hinder Native American participation in the state’s electoral process.

Ten immigrant justice, human rights, and criminal justice groups based in Montana sent a letter today urging Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to end Immigration and Customs Enforcement  (ICE) collaboration programs, including the 287(g) program, Secure Communities and ICE detainers. 

Ten immigrant justice, human rights, and criminal justice groups based in Montana sent a letter today urging Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to end Immigration and Customs Enforcement  (ICE) collaboration programs, including the 287(g) program, Secure Communities and ICE detainers. 

Yesterday, we learned that Attorney General Austin Knudsen decided to use the Office’s time and resources to join an Arizona lawsuit to stop new guidance from DHS that would redirect where and how the agency pursues deportation.