The Helena City Commission will hold a special meeting Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Civic Center to address Resolution 211062, which memorializes city policy governing how Helena responds when federal immigration enforcement is present within city limits. The meeting was prompted by a March 10, 2026 letter from Montana Attorney General Knudsen, which gave the city a 15-day deadline to address concerns raised in the letter.

Outside counsel Tasha Jones, hired from Missoula, negotiated an extension with the AG's office, pushing the original Wednesday deadline back to allow the commission to discuss the matter at Thursday's special session first. City Attorney Rebecca Doctor declined to discuss the substance of the resolution at Monday's regular meeting, deferring all substantive discussion to Thursday. Doctor confirmed no written legal analysis will be provided to commissioners or the public before the special meeting, and that the city's formal response to the AG's office will be drafted after Thursday's session depending on how it goes.

Commissioner Reid pressed Doctor on why the staff recommendation included full rescission of the resolution rather than amendment, noting that a February 11 city press release had stated the resolution was 'drafted with careful consideration of applicable local, state, and federal law.' Doctor acknowledged that rescission was one option, not the only one, and that commissioners could propose alternative motion language at Thursday's meeting.

Mayor Dean used her closing comments Monday to extend a public invitation to Attorney General Knudsen to 'come and have a conversation' to find a path forward, citing Governor Gianforte's own words about building consensus and respecting local community values. Public interest in the resolution has been significant — a member of the public, Lily Clark, attempted to comment on it during a different agenda item Monday, referencing 'almost 500 of your voters' who turned out at a prior commission meeting in support of the resolution. Thursday's special meeting is open to the public.