Florida AG vows fight to the end against judge halting state immigration law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier vowed to “fight” the order of a Miami federal judge that undermines a state immigration law, and Gov. Ron DeSantis fully supports the move.

“As the late Justice Scalia once said, ‘If securing its territory in this fashion is not within the power of [Florida], we should cease referring to it as a sovereign state,’” Uthmeier told Fox News Digital.

“My office will fight this judge’s order to the top if we must and continue being the Trump administration’s best partner in the mission to remove every illegal alien and protect our state and nation’s sovereignty,” he added after he submitted a motion to the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit.

We just submitted our motion with the Eleventh Circuit to stay Judge Williams’s attempt to stop Florida’s support for President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration.

As the late Justice Scalia once said, “If securing its territory in this fashion is not within the power of… pic.twitter.com/9ZIottAvBI

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) May 7, 2025

Judge Kathleen Williams, appointed by former President Obama, ruled that Florida’s illegal immigration law violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution and suspended the law signed by DeSantis earlier this year. Uthmeier is appealing, requesting a stay on the motion as litigation pans out and arguing that Florida Highway Patrol cannot be prevented from enforcing the state’s new law.

“Florida cops don’t need my permission to do their jobs. And the judge can’t order law enforcement officers to stand down when they aren’t even parties to the case,” Uthmeier told Fox News Digital.”This is Law 101. She doesn’t have jurisdiction. We hope the appellate court will fix the problems the lower court created and reaffirm that, as ‘the least dangerous branch,’ district court judges must stay in their constitutional lane.”

“He’s right on the law,” DeSantis said about Uthmeier as he spoke with reporters this week. “He has the courage to stand and do what’s right, even knowing that he’s going to get blowback.”

“There’s a role for the judiciary, but it’s to decide a case and a controversy before you,” the Republican leader said. “It’s not to go outside the bounds of judicial policy or judicial role and try to enact policy.”

(Video Credit: Fox 13)

In Wednesday’s filing, Uthmeier contended the judge has gone too far in preventing law enforcement agencies in the state from making immigration arrests.

“The district court’s order wrongly binds all of Florida’s law-enforcement officers — who are not parties, not the parties’ agents, and not acting in concert with the parties — flouting longstanding equitable principles entitling every litigant to ‘their day in court,’” the filing read.

Tonight, I joined Rob Schmitt on @NEWSMAX. pic.twitter.com/LABQ5xmOWT

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) May 7, 2025

“She’s trying to exercise authority that she does not possess. Fine,” DeSantis said. “There’s parties to the case, and she’s rendered a decision even though it’s a flawed decision that will be appealed. … You can’t go out and then say some sheriff in the Panhandle is somehow subject to your order — they were not involved in the litigation at all.”

“I do not believe an AG should be held in contempt for respecting the rule of law and appropriate separation of powers,” Uthmeier said. “The ACLU is dead set on obstructing President Donald Trump’s efforts to detain and deport illegals, and we are going to fight back. We will vigorously defend our laws and advance President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration.”