Attorney General Austin Knudsen is asking the Montana Supreme Court to throw out a legal dispute with Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell, arguing the fight over whether local prosecutors must cooperate with ICE is a political question, not a legal one — and therefore not the court's business.

The clash stems from Knudsen's position that county attorneys are obligated to assist federal immigration enforcement. Cromwell has pushed back, and the disagreement escalated to the point where both sides are now filing briefs before the state's highest court. Knudsen's latest filing argues the Supreme Court should dismiss the case outright before Cromwell even gets a chance to respond on the merits.

Cromwell, for her part, has filed her own response laying out why she believes the court has both the jurisdiction and the obligation to weigh in. The case has drawn attention from county attorneys across Montana who are watching to see whether the state's top law enforcement officer can compel local prosecutors to act as an arm of federal immigration enforcement.

The outcome could have practical implications well beyond Gallatin County. If Knudsen prevails on his dismissal argument, the question of local cooperation with ICE could remain unresolved in Montana law. If the Supreme Court takes the case on the merits, it would mark the first time the court has directly addressed the boundaries of the attorney general's authority over elected county attorneys — a question that has been simmering in Montana legal circles for months.