The United States Supreme Court has blocked a Florida law making it a crime with mandatory prison sentences to enter the state as an undocumented immigrant. The law was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February, with the state saying it would combat the “evil effects of immigration.”
The Supreme Court upheld a decision made by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court, consistent with other decisions made against similar laws in Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Supreme Court did not provide a reasoning for their decision, and no dissenting justices were noted.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Florida’s law were the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the Farmworker Association of Florida. James Uthmeier, the Florida Attorney General, had requested that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court uphold the state’s law. Their three-judge panel declined unanimously, and now the Supreme Court has issued a final blow.
“This ruling affirms what the Constitution demands — that immigration enforcement is a federal matter and that no one should be stripped of their liberty without due process,” said ACLU Florida Executive Director Bacardi Jackson. “Florida’s attempt to bypass federal authority and weaponize local law enforcement to police immigration status was not only unlawful, but it also put thousands of people at risk of unjust detention, separation, and abuse. We are grateful the Court upheld the block, and we remain committed to defending the rights and humanity of all Floridians.”
Though Florida’s state government suffered a key loss in court over immigration, A.G. Uthmeier and company are still celebrating a major victory: the Free Speech Coalition dropped a lawsuit against Florida’s law requiring pornography websites to have their users complete an age verification. That law, passed in March 2024, drew opposition from websites that hosted adult content but has thus far stood up to legal opposition.
