Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell responded Monday to a letter from Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen threatening to exercise supervisory control over her office if it did not comply with his instructions on sharing information with federal immigration authorities. The dispute stems from a legal opinion Cromwell issued nearly a year ago, when Gallatin County was considering an interlocal agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — an agreement she advised against entering.

Knudsen has accused Gallatin County of maintaining a policy that bars its office from sharing information with ICE. Cromwell has maintained no such policy exists. An Oct. 2, 2025, email from Cromwell's office to local law enforcement, however, states the Gallatin County Attorney's Office "does not legally recognize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a law enforcement agency entitled to receive Confidential Criminal Justice Information."

The two exchanged letters in early April, with Knudsen's April 3 letter demanding the county rescind what he characterized as a restrictive policy, and Cromwell's April 6 response asserting the policy does not exist. Knudsen responded that Cromwell's reply confirmed the office had created a policy in the form of legal advice distinguishing between ICE's civil and criminal enforcement roles. The standoff remains unresolved, with Knudsen's threat of supervisory control still on the table.