US Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate Florida Immigration Law

The US Supreme Court won’t let Florida implement new criminal penalties for migrants entering the state, keeping in place a lower court order that led to sanctions against its attorney general.

In an order on Wednesday, the justices without comment denied a request to allow the state to enforce SB 4-C, which creates a state-specific crime for illegal entry with increasing penalties for subsequent violations.

Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), the law is backed by the Trump administration and its efforts to curb what it called “the crisis of illegal immigration.”

A federal district judge prohibited the measure from going into effect while the case makes its way though the courts. Immigrant rights groups and farm worker advocates challenging the law say it “bypasses” federal enforcement, which has priority over immigration law.

“Florida’s law is in harmony, not conflict, with federal law,” the administration told a federal appellate court reviewing the state attorney general’s appeal.

US District Judge Kathleen Williams on June 17 held Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in contempt for encouraging local law enforcement to ignore her earlier order barring arrests under the law.

“Uthmeier publicly disavowed his compliance on multiple occasions—stating he would not ‘bow down’ to the Court,” Williams said in her contempt order.

The case is Uthmeier v. Florida Immigrant Coalition, U.S., No. 24A1269.