Ammon Bundy, Former Militia Leader, Now Decries Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Ammon Bundy first entered national view in 2014 when he joined his father, Cliven Bundy, in an armed standoff at the family ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada, against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The confrontation forced the BLM to release 400 impounded cattle and cemented Ammon’s reputation as a militant anti-government activist. Two years later he led an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon to protest the resentencing of ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond. The 41-day siege ended with an FBI ambush that killed ally LaVoy Finicum. Bundy and his supporters were arrested on January 26, 2016 and faced life-sentence charges, but he was acquitted after roughly two years of detention.

Reason

In 2018, President Donald Trump pardoned the Hammonds on July 10, securing their release from prison. Bundy later ran as an independent for Idaho governor in 2022, receiving 17 percent of the vote but losing to incumbent Brad Little. A lawsuit with St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise—stemming from Bundy’s accusation that the hospital kidnapped his campaign manager’s infant—resulted in a court order for Bundy and co-defendants to pay nearly $53 million in damages, leading to the seizure of his home and most assets. He fled with his family to Cedar City, Utah, where he worked in his brother’s diesel-truck parts business.

Reason

During “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis in early 2026, he posted on Facebook that he would oppose any unconstitutional threat from federal agents, citing his own experience. Bundy continues to offer legal assistance to acquaintances while publicly condemning President Trump’s immigration enforcement as an overreach comparable to the federal actions that once targeted his family.

Reason

• “That wouldn't have happened if we hadn't made such a big deal out of it,” — Ammon Bundy, Reason interview

Reason

• “If I and my family were threatened by federal agents in an unconstitutional way, I would do all I could to oppose them. In fact, I have pretty good experience with that,” — Ammon Bundy, Reason interview

Reason

• “If you want a healthy nation, you must look at an individual and protect those liberties, protect those freedoms,” — Ammon Bundy, Reason interview

Reason