Florida AG found in contempt over state’s illegal immigration law

A federal judge has found Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in civil contempt of court for defying a temporary restraining order (TRO) that paused a new state law criminalizing the entry of undocumented immigrants into the state. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued the TRO in response to a lawsuit filed by the Florida Immigrant Coalition and other groups, which challenged the law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in February.

The TRO was extended after the Florida Highway Patrol arrested over a dozen individuals, including a U.S. citizen, for violating the law. Williams ruled that Florida law enforcement officers were bound by the TRO and prohibited from enforcing the criminal immigration law. Despite initially complying with the court’s order to provide notice to law enforcement officers, Uthmeier later sent a follow-up letter stating that the TRO did not restrain them from enforcing the law.

In response, the court required Uthmeier to show cause as to why he should not be held in contempt for violating the TRO. The court ultimately found him in contempt for failing to provide the TRO to law enforcement officers as ordered. As a result, Uthmeier was ordered to file bi-weekly reports detailing any arrests or law enforcement actions related to the immigration law, with the first report due by July 1.

If any arrests were made under the law, Uthmeier was required to notify the court about the details of the arrests. The court’s ruling serves as a reminder that litigants cannot change the interpretation of court orders to suit their purposes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner, a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital, covered this story. Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com or on Twitter @GregWehner.