Florida State Attorney General James Uthmeier has vowed to continue enforcing immigration laws after a judge found him to be in civil contempt for refusing to stop the arrest of illegal immigrants under a new law.
“She wanted me to direct all of our state law enforcement to stand down on enforcing Florida’s new state immigration law, and I was not gonna do that,” Uthmeier said on Fox News‘ “America Reports.”
Uthmeier added that the judge does not have jurisdiction and that Florida law enforcement was not invited to court during the ruling.
“I did not have the authority to do that,” he continued. “I think she overstepped her bounds, but if being held in contempt is the price to pay for standing on principle, and standing on the law, so be it.”
Florida. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams had ordered Uthmeier to direct law enforcement officers to stop enforcing a recently signed immigration law, SB 4-C, that makes it a misdemeanor to enter or reenter the Sunshine State as an illegal immigrant.
However, Uthmeier sent a memo to law enforcement officers stating that he could not order them to stand down because the judge’s argument for granting the temporary restraining order was legally flawed. Uthmeier had initially directed officers to comply with the judge’s order.
In his memo, he stated that “independent law enforcement agencies are not parties in this case,” thus suggesting they were not bound by the ruling. In a follow-up letter, Uthmeier reiterated that he “believed her after-the-fact expansion of her order to nonparties was wrong.”
“I cannot prevent you from enforcing …, where there remains no judicial order that properly restrains you from doing so,” the letter stated.
“As set forth in the brief my office filed today, it is my view that no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce Florida’s new illegal entry and reentry laws.”
Judge Williams said she was shocked by Uthmeier’s order directing law enforcement officers to ignore her directive.
“What I am offended by is someone suggesting you don’t have to follow my order, that it’s not legitimate,” Williams said.
Subsequently, she found the state attorney general to be in civil contempt and ordered him to file weekly reports about the arrests of illegal immigrants across the state. This judge is on a fishing expedition to find the state attorney general in serious violation.
However, Uthmeier vowed to continue enforcing immigration laws by working with the federal government as he fights Judge Williams’ restraining order up to the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, he said he would comply with the recent demands and file the weekly reports as the legal challenge drags on.
Ironically, the Florida law did not introduce any significant changes to the already existing federal immigration laws. Instead, it ensured that the state had its fallback law in case pro-illegal immigration liberals take over the federal government and refuse to enforce federal laws.
There should be no women judges since they’re incapable of separating law from, feelings.