Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is facing a contempt hearing after violating a federal judge's temporary restraining order regarding a state law criminalizing undocumented immigrants. Initially, Uthmeier instructed law enforcement to stop enforcement actions but later contradicted that by informing police they could disregard the court order. This incident raises significant legal questions as such defiance by an attorney general is unprecedented in the Southern District of Florida, potentially leading to fines or jail time for Uthmeier.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams found Uthmeier violated her temporary restraining order last month to stop enforcing a new state law that makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to enter Florida after illegally crossing into the United States.
Judge Williams said the attorney general crossed the line days later when Uthmeier informed those same police agencies 'there remains no judicial order that properly restrains you from' enforcing the statute.
Whether the judge finds Uthmeier in contempt for giving state police agencies the latitude to arrest illegal immigrants entering Florida - despite her order to the contrary - remains an open question.
There's no precedent for a state attorney general ignoring a federal judge's order, certainly not in the Southern District of Florida.
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