Montana has seen a significant surge in drug trafficking since the Biden Administration's decision to let border protections expire in 2021. 

During this period, nearly 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. unlawfully. 

State Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-Libby) stated that there is no doubt drug crime and addiction have worsened in Montana due to the organized crime activities associated with increased illegal immigration due to the border crisis.

“Drugs are pretty horrendous,” he told Federal Newswire. “We're seeing a huge uptick in drugs coming into the country and people actually dying of overdoses and other related crimes. I think it's not only just the southern border, it's all across the northern border as well. I would venture to speculate that every state is a border state right now. The way the border is so porous.“ 

In 2023, fentanyl seizures doubled and overdose deaths saw a significant increase in Montana. 

While other areas of the country have reported high profile murders, rapes and other crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants, Gunderson said Montana is not seeing that as much, but human trafficking, a known cartel activity that plays out alongside drug smuggling, has been a concern. 

“Human trafficking, that's something that we've addressed over the last few sessions and I think we've got a pretty good handle on it law enforcement wise,” he said. 

In 2023 the Montana legislature passed a package of bills, including those targeting patrons of the sex industry. The Montana Attorney General’s Office was also given funding for a human trafficking task force. 

Similarly, protecting citizens from crime associated with open borders must be addressed individually state by state, according to Gunderson. 

In states like Montana he said that concept is quite clear. 

The state shares a 545 mile long border with Canada, second only to Alaska. 

According to Gunderson it would be better if the federal government stepped aside and let states handle their own border control.

“Just get the hell out of the way and let the states take care of their borders. And let's close them until we've got this under control,” he said. 

Gunderson’s comments come as the federal government continues to challenge the rights of border states such as Texas to deploy law enforcement to the border and actively deport illegal immigrants. 

While many overlook the country’s northern border in the border crisis, more recently illegal immigrants have been flying into Canada and sneaking in through the border rather than attempting a southern entry. 

In the spring record numbers of illegal immigrants crossed the northern border. 

“The northern border is pretty much porous in Montana,” Gunderson said.

“Montana has a northern border and it has basically the same problem as the southern border. There is no policy. It's just catch and release. And they're telling us they're vetting everyone they catch, and I find that hard to believe when a good portion of those folks are coming from countries that don't keep records like that. So there is no true way to vet it. Basically, we have an open border, no matter what the current administration says differently.” 

Gunderson said he did not realize quite how bad the problem was until he visited the Mexico border on a March trip with Numbers USA and chanced upon a conversation with a border patrol officer with insight into the northern border.    

“A three day trip pretty much changed my whole way of thinking and understanding,” he said. “We had a brief debriefing by the head of the Border Patrol in Yuma, and it was just by chance that she actually was a section chief up in Montana on the Havre portion of the border. He can give us a lot of insights of what was going on.” 

Gunderson said he has not discussed the topic with U.S. Rep. Ryan K. Zinke (R-Mont.) or Republican Troy Downing who is facing Democrat John B. Driscoll in the November general election.“I haven't talked specifically to any of the candidates,” he said.  

While Gunderson fundamentally believes states will be left to resolve problems with illegal immigration issues, he urged those in Congress to act quickly to better protect border states.  

“Close the border. It's way past time and when the administration says that they can't do it, Congress has to. I just call that a blatant lie,” he said. “The president has the power to regulate illegal immigration and at the moment, he's doing nothing to, to throttle it back or stop it.”