The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked Florida from enforcing a controversial law that would criminalize the entry of undocumented immigrants into the state.
The decision upholds an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who halted the law in April, finding that it interfered with federal immigration authority. A federal appeals court later affirmed her decision. The Supreme Court, in an unsigned order without explanation, agreed to maintain the hold on the law for now.
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The law, signed in February by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, would impose criminal penalties — including prison sentences — on undocumented immigrants who reenter Florida after previously being removed. Critics argued the law unlawfully encroached on federal jurisdiction.
Federal courts have blocked similar laws in at least four other states following lawsuits brought by immigrant rights organizations.
The Supreme Court’s decision was welcomed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“This ruling affirms what the Constitution demands — that immigration enforcement is a federal matter,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “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.”
Governor DeSantis, a Republican and prominent figure in national conservative politics, has championed hardline immigration measures in recent years. His stance aligns with former President Donald Trump, who made mass deportations a key pillar of his presidential campaign.
Just last week, Trump joined DeSantis for a tour of a newly constructed Florida migrant detention facility, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.” During the visit, Trump joked that the alligators surrounding the facility would serve as guards — a comment that drew widespread criticism from immigrant advocacy groups.
The Supreme Court’s decision is a temporary measure, and the case could return to the Court for further review. For now, however, the ruling halts Florida’s attempt to impose state-level criminal penalties on undocumented migrants, reinforcing the federal government’s primary role in immigration enforcement.
