Two bills that seek to aid immigration enforcement are about to be transmitted to the State Senate; both passed the House mostly along party lines.
House Bill 278 would allow any Montana law enforcement official to determine immigration status during a traffic stop. The bill is an attempt to prevent a recurrence of a lawsuit in which the Montana Highway Patrol was required to develop a protocol for determining immigration status during a traffic stop.
The second is House Bill 214, which allows for anyone in immigration detention to be prosecuted for state crimes.
Both bills now go to the Senate for processing.
