Florida AG held in contempt: Uthmeier defied migrant law ruling; says backing Trump worth the cost

A US federal decide on Tuesday held Florida legal professional common James Uthmeier in civil contempt for defying an injunction that quickly blocked a controversial state law that made it unlawful for undocumented migrants to enter Florida.District decide Kathleen Williams had earlier dominated the law might possible be unconstitutional and barred its enforcement whereas the case was being heard. But Uthmeier issued conflicting memos to police—first telling them to adjust to the court docket’s order, after which saying the decide was legally improper and that officers might nonetheless implement the law.“Litigants cannot change the plain meaning of words as it suits them, especially when conveying a court’s clear and unambiguous order,” Judge Williams wrote. She added that constancy to the rule of law “can have no other meaning.”Uthmeier dismissed the contempt ruling in a put up 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.” Here’s a fast breakdown of the case:The lawIt criminalises entry into Florida by undocumented immigrants—even when they’re already inside the US—and permits state police to arrest them.Why did the decide block it?Judge Williams dominated that it possible conflicts with federal immigration authority and violates the US structure.What Uthmeier didAt first, he advised officers to comply with the injunction. Days later, he reversed course, claiming the decide was improper and that native police might nonetheless implement the law. What the appeals court docket statedThe eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Uthmeier’s try to pause the injunction. They stated he hadn’t proven any sturdy probability of profitable on attraction and criticised him for showing to undermine the federal ruling.The second Trump administration has continued its aggressive immigration coverage, increasing from barring a couple of Muslim-majority nations in the first time period to proscribing entry from scores of nations in the second. The crackdown has been huge, from deporting alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to prisons overseas, to sending batches of individuals aboard US navy planes.