Some Florida officers are continuing to charge people under halted immigration law

Source: Associated Press

Some Florida officers are continuing to charge people under halted immigration law

By KATE PAYNE
Updated 1:18 PM EDT, August 11, 2025

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Some law enforcement officers are continuing to charge people under a Florida law that bans people living in the U.S. illegally from entering the state, even though a federal judge has halted enforcement of the law while it’s challenged in court.

Two more people were arrested and charged under the law in July, according to a report Florida’s attorney general is required to file as punishment for defying the judge’s ruling.

Both men were arrested by a sheriff’s officer in Sarasota County, located on the state’s southwest coast. The charges came months after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami first halted enforcement of the state statute, which makes it a misdemeanor for people who are in the U.S. without legal permission to enter Florida by eluding immigration officials.

As punishment for flouting her order and being found in civil contempt, the judge required Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to file bimonthly reports about whether any arrests, detentions or law enforcement actions have been made under the law.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/florida-immigration-law-enforcement-lawsuit-uthmeier-59c5d6a4e5de52272a90273e11681386