Federal judge says local police must follow order to halt enforcement of Florida immigration law

[Eugene]

1. Florida seeks to enforce a law making it a crime for people in the US illegally to enter the state

Source: Associated Press

Florida seeks to enforce a law making it a crime for people in the US illegally to enter the state

By MIKE SCHNEIDER and DAVID FISCHER
Updated 6:41 PM EDT, April 30, 2025

MIAMI (AP) — Florida’s attorney general asked federal courts Wednesday to let authorities enforce a new state law making it a misdemeanor for people in the U.S. illegally to enter Florida by eluding immigration officials.

State Attorney General James Uthmeier also asked U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami to put on hold her injunction against enforcing the law while the order is appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.

“That law does nothing more than exercise Florida’s inherent sovereign authority to protect its citizens by aiding the enforcement of federal immigration law,” Uthmeier said in Wednesday’s court filing.

The judge’s order on Tuesday noted that there was a substantial likelihood that the Florida law would be found unconstitutional.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/immigration-florida-uthmeier-c527c9422c4fd00918cbfff7bf63b2d8