In a move that underscores the ongoing friction between federal court directives and state enforcement of immigration laws, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams has held Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in civil contempt. Uthmeier, tasked with communicating the halt of a state immigration law to police agencies, is accused of misrepresenting the scope of a restraining order.
According to a report by WFTV, Judge Williams issued the temporary restraining order back in April, intended to block the enforcement of the law that would criminalize undocumented immigrants entering or reentering Florida. Subsequently, Williams found that Uthmeier violated her order by issuing a letter that suggested the ruling was narrowly applicable only to him. Local state attorneys, thereby signaling to the police that they could proceed with enforcing the law.
The contested law, associated with what is often regarded as the Trump administration's hardline stance on immigration, was prevented from taking effect through the judge's injunctions, with Williams extending the temporary restraining order on April 18. Despite these legal actions and reports of arrests that emerged, Uthmeier is said to have sent contradictory letters to law enforcement. Walking through a complex legal landscape, he then expressed on social media, "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," as detailed by WFTV.
In a court filing referenced by WESH, Uthmeier's lawyers contended that he had conformed to the temporary restraining order by informing law enforcement of it, and should have the liberty to voice his dissent with the court's decision. The letter, they argued, was misread by only focusing on "one portion of one sentence, rather than reading (the) letter as a whole." Despite this legal maneuvering, Judge Williams referenced public comments by Uthmeier that he would not direct law enforcement to "stand down on enforcing the Trump agenda and carrying out Florida’s law."
Presently, Uthmeier has appealed against the April 29 preliminary injunction.
