Florida Attorney General Stands Firm Against Federal Judge’s Immigration Order
In a bold defense of state sovereignty and border enforcement, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has refused to comply with a federal judge’s demand to halt the enforcement of a key state immigration law, setting up a potential legal and constitutional showdown.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams—an Obama appointee—threatened Uthmeier with contempt after ordering him to instruct law enforcement agencies in Florida to stop enforcing a statute that allows officers to charge illegal immigrants who enter the state while evading federal authorities with misdemeanors. The ruling claims the law may violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which asserts that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, Fox News reported.
But Uthmeier is not backing down.
“The judge wants me to put my stamp of approval on an order prohibiting all state law enforcement from enforcing Florida’s immigration laws when no law enforcement is party to the lawsuit,” Uthmeier said. “I’m just not going to do that. We believe the court has overstepped and lacks jurisdiction there, and I will not tell law enforcement to stop fulfilling their constitutional duties,” he told Fox News.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), aims to block enforcement of the law. If Judge Williams moves forward with contempt charges, U.S. Marshals could be ordered to detain the Attorney General—a move likely to provoke a fierce response from the Trump administration and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose Justice Department oversees the Marshals Service.
“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.”
The ACLU cheered the judge’s intervention, blurring the line between legal immigrants and those in the country illegally. “This is a win for human rights, for immigrant families, for fairness, for the rule of law, and for everyone who believes in the Constitution,” said Bacardi Jackson, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida.
Jackson continued, “Florida politicians tried to turn fear into policy and made it a crime simply to exist as an immigrant in this state. The court rightly reminded them: immigration enforcement is a job for the federal government, not a political weapon for states to use.”
Oscar Sarabia Roman, Staff Attorney at the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, echoed that sentiment: “Florida tried to sidestep federal immigration laws and punish people for traveling into the state. But immigration rules are set by Congress, not state politicians.”
Sui Chung of Americans for Immigrant Justice called the judge’s decision a reflection of national values, stating, “This ruling affirms fairness, justice, and the rule of law — values that have defined us as a nation. SB 4-C unfairly targeted immigrants and disrupted the lives of hardworking residents of Florida.”
But Uthmeier made it clear that the law is aimed at protecting Floridians by supporting federal immigration enforcement—not replacing it.
“That law does nothing more than exercise Florida’s inherent sovereign authority to protect its citizens by aiding the enforcement of federal immigration law,” he explained.
“I explained that I believed her after-the-fact expansion of her order to nonparties was wrong, and that my office would be arguing as much in short order,” he added. “Today, my office filed a brief explaining why her order cannot possibly restrain Florida’s law enforcement agencies from enforcing Florida Statutes Sections 811.102 and 811.103. We will continue to argue that position—including on appeal as soon as possible.”
Judge Williams, reportedly “shocked” by the Attorney General’s defiance, signaled her intent to issue a preliminary injunction against the law.
As Florida holds the line, this confrontation underscores a broader national debate over the balance of power between federal authority and states’ rights in enforcing immigration law—especially under the leadership of President Trump, whose administration remains committed to securing America’s borders.