A US federal judge on Tuesday held Florida attorney general James Uthmeier in civil contempt for defying an injunction that temporarily blocked a controversial state law that made it illegal for undocumented migrants to enter Florida.District judge Kathleen Williams had earlier ruled the law could likely be unconstitutional and barred its enforcement while the case was being heard. But Uthmeier issued conflicting memos to police—first telling them to comply with the court’s order, and then saying the judge was legally wrong and that officers could still enforce 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 fidelity to the rule of law “can have no other meaning.”Uthmeier dismissed the contempt ruling in a post 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 quick breakdown of the case:The lawIt criminalises entry into Florida by undocumented immigrants—even if they’re already inside the US—and allows state police to arrest them.Why did the judge block it?Judge Williams ruled that it likely conflicts with federal immigration authority and violates the US constitution.What Uthmeier didAt first, he told officers to follow the injunction. Days later, he reversed course, claiming the judge was wrong and that local police could still enforce the law. What the appeals court saidThe 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Uthmeier’s attempt to pause the injunction. They said he hadn’t shown any strong likelihood of winning on appeal and criticised him for appearing to undermine the federal ruling.The second Trump administration has continued its aggressive immigration policy, expanding from barring a few Muslim-majority nations in the first term to restricting entry from scores of countries in the second. The crackdown has been massive, from deporting alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to prisons abroad, to sending batches of people aboard US military planes.
