Montana State Representative Jerry Schillinger (R-Circle) is expressing concerns over the escalating impact of drug trafficking and crime in rural and urban Montana, particularly affecting Native American reservations.
Schillinger highlighted the vulnerable communities when it comes to trafficking both humans and drugs.
“Our Indian reservations seem to be areas that drug cartels especially exploit both for bringing in drugs and then the human trafficking aspect of it as well," Schillinger told Federal Newswire.
Schillinger, who represents a predominantly rural district, noted a disturbing trend in the frequency of opioid-related deaths on reservations.
Nearly seven percent of Montana’s population claims Native American heritage, of which around 80% live on one of the state’s officially recognized reservations.
"What really struck me during (the legislative) session was it seemed like on a regular basis…that a member of one of the tribes, typically from one of the reservations, would stand up and share about another, friend or neighbor or family member that had died from fentanyl," he said.
Regarding urban centers like Billings, Schillinger also pointed out a noticeable increase in violent crime.
"You would’ve rarely ever heard of a person getting murdered in Billings 10 years ago and now it's a regular thing,” he said. “Every week it seems like at least one person gets built one way or another there.
Billings has experienced a troubling rise in homicides over the past three years, with 16 reported in 2023 following a peak of 19 in 2020.
The Billings Police Department (BPD) reported the demographic of victims shows a significant proportion of people of color, particularly Indigenous individuals, and many cases are linked to drug-related violence.
Montana is experiencing a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths, largely driven by the proliferation of fentanyl.
In 2021, nearly 200 overdose deaths were reported, with Yellowstone and Missoula counties being the hardest hit.
Fentanyl's presence continues to escalate statewide.
Lamenting the influx of drugs and criminal activity, Schillinger attributed much of the rise in crime to heightened cartel activity due to porous borders and inadequate law enforcement resources.
"I know we're going to be dealing with this in the next session,” he said. “That is a direct fallout of the open borders. and (with) the drug issue is we need more prison space in our town.”
Expanding on the consequences of drug abuse, Schillinger highlighted the broader societal impact. He underscored the pervasive nature of the problem.
"The drug issue has created just so much more crime,” he said. “Billings and all of our urban areas are experiencing more gang-related activity, cartel-related activity.”
Looking ahead, Schillinger urged voters to prioritize border security.
"Obviously the beginning of the solution is to elect the right people this fall and get tough on the border and close the border immediately," he said.
Schillinger represents District 37 in Montana’s House of Representatives. The district includes Garfield, McCone, Prairie, Custer, Fallon, Carter and Powder River counties.
He is a member of Montana’s Freedom Caucus which aims to counteract perceived leftward shifts despite Republican majorities in Montana's government.
In an interview with Federal Newswire, fellow Montana Freedom Caucus member State Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-Libby) criticized the Biden Administration for its handling of border security, citing a surge in drug trafficking and overdose deaths in Montana since the expiration of certain border protections in 2021.
“We're seeing a huge uptick in drugs coming into the country and people actually dying of overdoses and other related crimes,” he told Federal Newswire. “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.“
