BILLINGS - First Interstate Bank, which holds the naming rights to the main arena at MetraPark, released a statement Wednesday on a proposal to use the grounds to house immigrant detainees, urging a "peaceful resolution" to the controversy.
"First Interstate Bank has a strong commitment to the communities we serve, and we sponsor the First Interstate Arena because we believe the facility provides important social and economic benefits to the greater Billings community. Yellowstone County did not contact us regarding the proposed use of MetraPark, nor do we control how the County uses the arena or the other MetraPark facilities. This is unfortunately becoming a divisive situation for our community, and we are hopeful the commissioners will seek a peaceful resolution for the good of the community," the bank wrote in a statement.
In 2019, Billings-based First Interstate spent $875,000 for five years for the naming rights to the arena. The bank signed a new five-year deal last year.
The statement was in response to a proposal from Yellowstone County Commission Chair Mark Morse to offer the use of MetraPark to house immigrants arrested following President Donald Trump's mass deportation executive order. Morse cited overcrowding at the Yellowstone County jail as the reason for the offer, which he laid out in a letter to the four members of Montana's congressional delegation, all fellow Republicans.
Since then, dozens packed the commissioners' hearing room expressing concerns about the plan, and the president of the Billings Chamber of Commercetold a MetraPark advisory group he's worried about the economic impacts.
The Trump administration has not responded to the proposal.
Related video:
