A federal judge has found that\u00a0Florida Attorney General\u00a0James Uthmeier was in civil contempt of court over her ruling to pause a new state law making it a crime for people living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered on April 29 that Uthmeier show cause on “why he should not be held in contempt or sanctioned” for violating a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the court, though Williams ultimately decided he was unable to convince her otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“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,” Uthmeier said Tuesday in a post on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Florida Gov.\u00a0Ron DeSantis\u00a0signed legislation into law in February that made it a misdemeanor for illegal immigrants to enter the state as part of President Donald Trump\u2019s push to crack down on illegal immigration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But on April 4, Williams issued a 14-day TRO in response to the law, following a lawsuit filed by the Florida Immigrant Coalition and other groups. She then extended the TRO another 11 days after learning the Florida Highway Patrol had arrested over a dozen people, including a U.S. citizen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court said on April 18 that Florida\u00a0law enforcement officers\u00a0were bound by the TRO, preventing them from enforcing the criminal immigration law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n