Caught on camera: Migrants working on anti-Immigration hardliner Greg Gianforte's property

Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte hired a roofing company that uses migrant labor to make repairs to one of his mansions. Gianforte has previously taken a hardline anti-immigration stance.

Gianforte was elected Governor of Montana in 2020. He is currently seeking a second term. His Democratic opponent is Ryan Busse, an author and the former vice president of sales for a gun company.

A video shot by the Busse campaign on May 15 shows roofers working on the Hauser Mansion, Gianforte’s primary residence in Helena, MT. In the video, the foreman of the crew identified the workers as Colombian and Mexican. The immigration status of the workers is not known.

Gianforte bought the Hauser Mansion in January for $4 million. He said he intends to donate the property to the state when he leaves office. A spokesperson for Gianforte told the Montana Free Press that the governor would personally cover any costs related to maintaining the property. 

Gianforte has made calls to restrict immigration and secure the southern border a centerpiece of his political career. In April, Gianforte criticized President Joe Biden for granting temporary work permissions to asylum seekers from Venezuela. 

“Our nation’s southern border remains porous and insecure, and now, Joe Biden is rewarding illegal immigrants with jobs,” Gianforte wrote on social media. “The southern border needs to be secured now.”

Individuals who crossed the border illegally and had not applied for asylum were not eligible for the temporary work permissions.

In February, Gianforte visited the southern border with 14 other Republican governors. The purpose of the trip was to show solidarity with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott who had come under fire from the federal government for installing razor wire obstacles in the Rio Grande River that had maimed and killed multiple migrants.

“Our states are being invaded by the people crossing illegally,” Gianforte said in a press conference. “Our Constitution gives the states the right to self defense. That’s what Governor Abbott’s doing, and that’s why we’re here standing with him today.”

On April 2, Gianforte sent 10 Montana National Guardsmen to Texas to help police the southern border. According to the Montana Free Press, the estimated cost of the deployment was $227,000.

The guardsmen returned to Montana on May 12.

A Gianforte spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions for this story.