I’d like U.S. Reps. Ryan Zinke, Matt Rosendale and Gov. Greg Gianforte to consider a situation. It’s early May, and you’re standing outside the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office when a family approaches: A father, mother and three children. They’re clearly exhausted. But when they see you, their relief is palpable. You know the area, and might be able to help.
These people are strangers, but you can feel their desperation. So, you do what any Montanan would: You invite them inside, offer them water and dig up snacks for the kids. You don’t think twice about it. You’re an American. Perhaps you’re a Christian. You extend a hand because it’s the right thing to do.
You learn the family has been traveling for months, ever since fleeing the violent and oppressive government in their native Venezuela — a regime so dangerous that more than 6.1 million people have left their homes, families and careers. You’re reminded of how lucky you are to be American, with free and fair elections.
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Perhaps you’re tempted to pity this family. But they don’t want it. They’ve applied for asylum, which means they’ll be eligible to work as soon as their permits come through. They don’t want handouts. You empathize with that—and wish the work permit waiting period was shorter, so the family could start providing for themselves, while awaiting a verdict in their asylum case.
If only Zinke, Rosendale and Gianforte had been on those steps last month and looked this family in the eye — maybe then they wouldn’t have tried turning them into boogeymen for political gain.
Our representatives and governor claimed the family broke the law, which wasn’t true. They spread mistruths about how their arrival in Montana. They disparaged the volunteers like Valley Neighbors who devote themselves to helping newcomers in need. And they used words like “invasion,” which in the context of this family — and others like them — isn’t just laughable, but also incredibly cruel.
Not all people who seek asylum in America will receive it. But they have the legal right to seek it. As an immigration attorney — one of only seven in the whole state — I’ve met many migrants. Most don’t want to leave their beloved home countries. They do it because they feel their survival and safety are on the line.
Montana’s immigrant population is just two percent, which makes them an easy target for politicians to use them, hoping to stoke fear of the unknown.
But time and time again, I’ve seen Montanans embrace these newcomers. I’ve had the great pleasure of watching everyday people step up to give our newest neighbors a sense of belonging and welcome. This includes resettled refugees and immigrants from dozens of countries, including more than 100 Afghans who were forced to flee the Taliban and Ukrainians who managed to escape war. Like the family who arrived last month, some of these refugees crossed the border to get here. Some were also helped by our wonderful community groups like Valley Neighbors and Soft Landing.
I still believe Montanans have an essential generosity in our hearts. It’s just who we are. I’d love to see that same generosity from the leaders who represent us. They could do it by getting to work on the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2023, bipartisan legislation to speed up work permit processing.
Together, Montana can remain a place where we treat each other with courtesy, dignity and respect, regardless of background. Politicians, I’m talking to you. Put yourselves on those County Sheriff steps and really think for a moment about the human thing to do.
Randall Caudle is an attorney and the founder of River Mountain Immigration in Missoula. In his spare time, he watches sports and spends time with his family.
