A federal judge has found Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in civil contempt for violating a court order that temporarily blocked enforcement of a controversial new state immigration law.
The ruling, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, comes in response to Uthmeier’s failure to comply with an April court order instructing state law enforcement not to enforce the law, which criminalizes undocumented immigrants entering Florida.
The law, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in February, is part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration aligned with President Donald Trump’s agenda. It makes it a misdemeanor for individuals without legal status in the U.S. to enter the state.
On April 4, Judge Williams issued a 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) following a legal challenge from the Florida Immigrant Coalition and other advocacy groups. She later extended the TRO by 11 days after reports surfaced that Florida Highway Patrol officers had arrested more than a dozen people under the law — including a U.S. citizen — in violation of the order.
The court had mandated that Uthmeier notify all law enforcement agencies in the state about the TRO, which he initially did. However, on April 23, Uthmeier sent a second letter contradicting the court’s directive. In it, he claimed that “no judicial order… properly restrains you” from enforcing the immigration statute, and that “no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce” the law.
Judge Williams ruled that the letter directly defied the court’s April 18 order, which had clearly barred enforcement of the statute. In her decision, she stated that parties in a case “cannot change the meaning of words as it suits them.”
In response to the contempt ruling, Uthmeier posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“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.”
As part of the court’s sanction, Uthmeier must now submit bi-weekly reports detailing any arrests, detentions, or law enforcement actions related to the immigration law. The first report is due by July 1. If any arrests occur under the contested law, the attorney general is required to notify the court with full details.
With input from Fox News.
