The legal battle over Florida’s immigration law continues as a federal appeals court upheld the injunction blocking Senate Bill 4-C. As reported by Local 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, preventing enforcement of the law, which would impose criminal penalties on undocumented immigrants entering the state.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who appealed the injunction, is now facing possible contempt of court. Judge Williams raised concerns over an April 23 letter from Uthmeier that she said could be interpreted as encouraging law enforcement to disregard her order. Local 10 reported that Uthmeier’s attorney, Jesse Panuccio, told the court there is no evidence that law enforcement acted on the letter.
NBC Miami reported that the three-judge panel—Judges Jill Pryor, Kevin Newsom, and Embry Kidd—denied Uthmeier’s request for a stay that would have temporarily allowed the law to be enforced. The judges stated that Uthmeier had not made a strong case that the district court was wrong in finding SB 4-C likely preempted by federal law.
The appeals court also declined to issue a partial stay that would apply only to Uthmeier and state attorneys. The judges noted what they described as Uthmeier’s seemingly defiant posture and cited concerns over his actions, calling them at least a veiled threat not to obey the court’s order.
SB 4-C was passed during a February special legislative session and intended to align state criminal penalties with federal immigration law. It was challenged in court by the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Farmworker Association of Florida, and two individuals. Judge Williams’s preliminary injunction cited possible conflicts with federal immigration authority, including mandatory detention provisions that limit federal discretion over pre-trial release. The injunction remains in place as legal proceedings continue.
