Attorney General of the United States Merrick Garland was in Montana Tuesday, visiting the Crow Nation and Billings.
Garland met with multiple tribal leaders, victim specialists, and law enforcement partners, to discuss specific issues around crime prevention in Indian country.
While most of Garland's meetings were closed to reporters, he did share opening remarks ahead of a meeting with federal and local law enforcement at the James F. Battin Federal Courthouse in downtown Billings.
“I heard about the challenges that tribal victims face in accessing the services they need to recover and feel safe in their communities," Garland said.
That includes, Garland said, taking significant steps to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s Crisis by reviewing and responding to recommendations made by a federally-appointed task force formed under the Not Invisible Act.
"I also want to be particularly cognizant of the work done by the members of the Not Invisible Act Commission, especially grateful to the survivors, the family members of victims who testified before the commission about their heartbreaking experiences," Garland said. "Those testimonies and the commission's recommendations will guide us in all of our work going forward."
Garland announced Tuesday that the Department of Justice and Department of Interior have finally issued their joint response to the commission's recommendations in a 200-plus page report.
"We recognize that more must be done across the federal government to put to the end these tragedies and to help tribal communities heal. We remain steadfast in our commitment to this work," Garland said.
U.S. Attorney for Montana, Jesse Laslovich, joined Garland for meetings in both Crow Agency and Billings.
"I want to welcome Attorney General Garland to Montana," Laslovich said. "I really appreciate him taking the time to not just visit with us here this afternoon, but also visiting the Crow Indian Reservation earlier today, where he heard from tribal leaders and our tribal partners about the challenges they're facing with law enforcement on that reservation. I know he is as committed as we are to overcoming those challenges."
Along with discussing MMIP, meetings with Garland focused on gaps in tribal law enforcement, difficulties with funding and retention of law enforcement on reservations, and growing issues with drug trafficking.
In his remarks to reporters, Garland highlighted several recent drug cases, investigations, and convictions by Montana law enforcement and Laslovich's office.
Garland said Tuesday's visit is not his first to Montana and recalled working on the Unabomber case in Lincoln and the Freemen case in Jordan, as both cases landed in federal court. Garland said he has also made personal visits to Montana, including hiking in Glacier and skiing in Big Sky.