Montana Republican congressional candidate ties Indian Country safety to immigration enforcement

At the tail end of his remarks, Flint decried illegal immigrants for allegedly making Montana reservations more dangerous. He said that in the midst of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis, “bad hombres” had to be rooted out to stop drug trafficking, violence and sex crimes.

It’s a familiar talking point for Flint, who runs multiple campaign ads titled “Bad Hombres,” in which he beseeches: “Look at these monsters. Drug dealers. Rapists. Violent thugs. These criminal illegal aliens in Montana were deported by President Trump.”

The MMIP crisis Flint mentioned is a major threat to the members of the state’s Indigenous community. In Western Montana, high-profile cases in recent years included a hit-and-run attack that killed a Blackfeet woman, Mika Westwolf, in 2024, as well as the unsolved disappearance of Bitterroot Salish woman Jermain Charlo, who was last seen in Missoula in 2018.

Specific concerns for Indigenous people didn't get much airtime from Flint's fellow Republicans, but general safety was a throughline in much of the commentary Wednesday, including in remarks by Republican Senate candidate Kurt Alme. The local sheriffs running for reelection in Montana’s northwestern corner, Darren Short in Lincoln County and Brian Heino in Flathead County, attended the event as spectators.

Trump briefly touched on security and law enforcement support, mentioning his frequently repeated desire to impose mandatory capital punishment as a way to deter “cop killers.”

Most of the president’s time at the podium was dedicated to deriding the opposition “dumb-ocrats” in the race.

With the election less than 20 days out, Satellite Election Offices are now open during specific hours in rural locales and on Montana reservations. Voters can register and vote on the same day at a satellite office with valid photo ID. The Native American Rights Fund is staffing election sites in Montana and other states with volunteers to assist voters with any issues that may arise.