Florida Halts Immigration Arrests After Judge's Order

Florida Halts Immigration Arrests Under New Law After Federal Judge'S Order

Florida Halts Immigration Arrests Under New Law After Federal Judge’s Order

Tallahassee, FL — A federal judge has temporarily blocked key provisions of Florida’s controversial new immigration enforcement law, prompting state officials to halt arrests under the statute just days after it took effect. The ruling has reignited a fierce debate over state versus federal authority on immigration policy.

The Law in Question

Florida’s Senate Bill 1718, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in May, imposed some of the strictest state-level immigration measures in the country. Among its provisions:

Mandated E-Verify checks for businesses with 25 employees.

Enhanced penalties for human smuggling.

Prohibited local governments from issuing IDs to undocumented immigrants.

Authorized state law enforcement to detain suspected undocumented immigrants without warrants if they had prior deportation orders.

The law faced immediate backlash from immigrant rights groups, business leaders, and Democratic lawmakers, who argued it would lead to racial profiling and harm Florida’s economy, heavily reliant on immigrant labor.

The Legal Challenge

A coalition of civil rights organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), sued the state, arguing the law unconstitutionally infringed on federal immigration authority.

On June 28, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle—a Trump appointee—granted a preliminary injunction, blocking the warrantless arrest provision. In her ruling, she stated that Florida’s law risked creating a 'patchwork of state immigration policies,' undermining federal enforcement.

Impact on Enforcement

Following the judge’s order, Florida law enforcement agencies paused arrests under the contested provision. The DeSantis administration has vowed to appeal, calling the ruling 'judicial overreach.'

'This law was about protecting Floridians,' said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. 'We will continue to fight to ensure our state has the tools to combat illegal immigration.'

Meanwhile, immigrant advocates celebrated the decision but warned the legal battle is far from over. 'This is a temporary relief, but the fight continues,' said Paul R. Chávez, senior supervising attorney for the SPLC.

What’s Next?

The case could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court, where a conservative majority has previously upheld some state immigration laws while striking down others. For now, the injunction remains in place as litigation proceeds.

As Florida waits, businesses, law enforcement, and immigrant communities remain in limbo—caught between state mandates and federal court orders in a high-stakes showdown over who controls America’s borders.

Stay tuned for updates as this legal battle unfolds.

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*(True crime-style twist: Could this legal clash lead to another showdown like Arizona’s SB 1070? Only time will tell.)*

Florida Halts Immigration Arrests After Judge's Order

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