Florida AG James Uthmeier Faces Contempt Threat Over Immigration Law Dispute
A constitutional clash is unfolding in Florida, where state and federal priorities are colliding in a high-stakes legal showdown.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams has threatened Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier with contempt for refusing to direct state law enforcement to stop enforcing a controversial immigration law. The law allows Florida authorities to charge illegal immigrants with misdemeanors if they enter the state while evading federal immigration enforcement.
Judge Williams, an Obama appointee, argues that the law violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which grants immigration enforcement authority exclusively to the federal government. Her order aligns with a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which contends that Florida is overstepping its legal bounds.
But AG Uthmeier has defiantly pushed back.
“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 agency is party to the lawsuit,” Uthmeier said, vowing not to comply.
Uthmeier contends that the state has a right to protect its borders and enforce laws against individuals who deliberately evade federal immigration authorities. He has accused the court of overreach and says he will not instruct officers to halt enforcement, calling it a matter of “constitutional duty.”
If Judge Williams follows through on her threat to hold Uthmeier in contempt, the situation could escalate dramatically. Such a move could potentially lead to U.S. Marshals—who operate under the Trump administration’s Justice Department led by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi—being ordered to detain a sitting state attorney general. That would trigger a rare and politically charged confrontation between branches and levels of government.
The ACLU celebrated the ruling as a victory for constitutional checks and balances, but Florida officials are framing the issue as a battle for state sovereignty and border control.
What comes next may reshape the future of immigration enforcement at the state level—and test the limits of federal authority in a politically divided America.
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