Latest news with #JudgeWilliams
Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Florida attorney general held in civil contempt over immigration law
A federal judge found Florida's attorney general in civil contempt of court Tuesday for violating a restraining order, which required state attorneys to tell officers to stop enforcing a newly enacted immigration law. That same judge, Southern Florida District Judge Kathleen M. Williams had issued a temporary restraining order in April halting the enforcement of a law that made it a state crime for any 'adult unauthorized alien' to enter or reenter Florida, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of nine months. That law had been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in February. Afterward, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) sent a letter to state law enforcement agencies saying he could not prevent them enforcing the new law. 'It is my view that no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce Florida's new illegal entry and reentry laws,' he wrote in the letter. Williams on Tuesday found this letter to be in contempt of her order. The letter followed a previous memo from Uthmeier that informed law enforcement agencies of the temporary restraining order and instructed them to comply with it. But the second letter, which Uthmeier said was sent to clarify his original memo sent five days earlier, told law enforcement: 'Judge Williams ordered my office to notify you of the evolving scope of her order, and I did so. But I cannot prevent you from enforcing [the new law], where there remains no judicial order that properly restrains you from doing so.' Uthmeier said on X, '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.' Williams, who was appointed by then-President Barack Obama, ordered Uthmeier to file biweekly reports on whether any arrests, detentions or other actions had been made under the new law. He must immediately inform the court if he becomes aware of any arrests, she added. If he does not comply, the court would consider further sanctions such as fines, she wrote. The lawsuit challenging the Florida law, introduced as Senate Bill 4-C, was led by the Florida Immigrant Coalition and argues that immigration is a federal responsibility. Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, which is part of the plaintiffs' legal team, said the law is 'not just unconstitutional — it's cruel and dangerous' when the lawsuit was filed in April. The law also instructs law enforcement to notify federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of any arrests made. A U.S. citizen was arrested and detained for more than 24 hours under the law in April, immigration advocates said. A federal court appeals panel in Atlanta rejected Uthmeier's challenge to Williams' original restraining order earlier this month.
Fox News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Stay in your lane: Florida AG fires next volley against judge halting state immigration law
FIRST ON FOX: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier fired back Wednesday at an Obama-appointed Miami federal judge who attempted to halt enforcement of a state immigration law. Uthmeier told Fox News Digital he submitted a motion to the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit to stay a motion to halt Florida's illegal immigration law. "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 said. "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." Uthmeier had originally told Judge Kathleen Williams he could not tell his law enforcement officers not to enforce the state's new law making it a misdemeanor for illegal immigrants to enter Florida to avoid the feds. FLA AG TO REBUFF JUDGE WHO ORDERED HALT TO STATE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT: THE COURT HAS OVERSTEPPED Williams ruled the law violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, while Uthmeier countered he couldn't order the Florida Highway Patrol to stop any enforcement because it wasn't party to the order. "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 exclusively Wednesday. "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." FLORIDA AG LAUNCHES OFFICE OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, LENDING LEGAL FIREPOWER TO DFEEND PARENTS' 'GOD-GIVEN RIGHT' In his filing, Uthmeier argued Florida did "nothing more … [but] to aid the United States in curbing illegal immigration within the state's borders" and didn't take any actions that would violate the Constitution. "SB 4-C (the law) criminalizes the entry into Florida of those who have illegally entered the United States. That law tracks federal law to a tee." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Florida law defines an 'unauthorized alien' as 'a person who is unlawfully present in the United States according to the terms of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.' "I do not believe an AG should be held in contempt for respecting the rule of law and appropriate separation of powers. 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."
