Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier urged the Supreme Court June 23 to allow the state to enforce its new immigration law, arguing that federal judges have wrongfully stripped the state of its ability to protect its citizens from illegal immigration.
The new law, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in February, makes it a state crime for individuals who entered the US illegally and evaded federal authorities to subsequently enter Florida. The measure is part of a broader push by DeSantis to strengthen state enforcement of immigration laws.
“Illegal immigration continues to wreak havoc in the State while that law cannot be enforced,” Uthmeier’s office wrote in the petition to the Supreme Court.
“And without this Court’s intervention,” it continued, “Florida and its citizens will remain disabled from combating the serious harms of illegal immigration for years as this litigation proceeds through the lower courts.”
The legal battle centers on a lawsuit filed by two anonymous illegal immigrants, along with the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Farmworker Association of Florida, who argue the law violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution by usurping federal immigration enforcement authority.
US District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, sided with the plaintiffs in April, issuing an injunction that blocks the law’s enforcement while courts review its constitutionality. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to overturn Williams’ order, prompting Uthmeier to take the case to the nation’s highest court.
In his filing, Uthmeier emphasized that the legislation closely tracks existing federal law because it “strikes at the heart of States’ ability to protect their citizens from the devastating effects of illegal immigration.”
At the same time, he argued, the injunction is overly broad, preventing even officers who were not directly involved in the lawsuit from enforcing it.
The battle escalated last week when Williams held Uthmeier in contempt for allegedly encouraging state officers to continue enforcing the law despite her order.
Uthmeier rejected the contempt ruling, writing in a June 17 social media post, “If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration, so be it.”
Speaking to Fox News, Uthmeier argued Williams overstepped her authority, adding that he does not have the authority to implement her initial injunction.
“She wanted me to direct all of our state law enforcement to stand down on enforcing Florida’s new state immigration law, and I was not going to do that… She did not have jurisdiction,” Uthmier said. “I did not have the authority to do that, so I think she overstepped her bounds.”
As legal challenges continue, Florida has intensified its state-led immigration enforcement efforts.
Uthmeier recently highlighted “Operation Dragon Eye,” a joint operation with US Marshals and state law enforcement that rescued 60 missing children and resulted in multiple arrests linked to human trafficking.
“Operation Dragon Eye resulted in 8 arrests, and additional human trafficking investigations continue,” he wrote on X. “We will keep fighting evil head-on and bringing accountability to those who harm children.”
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Author: Elise DeGeeter
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