Federal Judge Orders Florida Police to Halt Immigration Law Enforcement

A federal judge in Miami, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, clarified that her order blocking enforcement of Florida’s new immigration law applies to all local law enforcement agencies, contradicting recent guidance from the state’s attorney general. The law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February as part of a broader push to curb illegal immigration, makes it a misdemeanor for undocumented migrants to enter Florida by evading immigration officials. Judge Williams had previously issued a temporary restraining order after a lawsuit argued the law violated the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause by intruding on federal jurisdiction. The order was extended after reports that the Florida Highway Patrol arrested more than a dozen people, including a U.S. citizen. State attorneys contended that the judge’s order should only apply to parties named in the lawsuit, but Williams insisted it covered all local law enforcement. The judge indicated she would issue a preliminary injunction to reinforce the freeze on the law’s enforcement.