In a dark, potential precursor to Donald Trump, Florida’s Musk-loving attorney general is not just defying a court order to stop arresting immigrants but claiming the U.S. Constitution gives him the right to do so. According to Law & Crime, AG James Uthmeier claimed state authorities were “fulfilling their constitutional duties” by flouting the judge’s order. In a motion, his office claimed to be “exercise[ing] Florida’s inherent sovereign authority” by “aiding the enforcement of federal immigration law.”
More from Law & Crime:
[U.S. District Judge Kathleen] Williams, a Barack Obama appointee, issued a 14-day stay on April 4 that blocked a law signed into effect by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February, which gave state law enforcement the power to arrest and prosecute undocumented immigrants. It is now a first-degree misdemeanor for a person to enter Florida as an “unauthorized alien.”
Williams ordered that the law not be enforced in Florida, arguing that it was the federal government’s responsibility to apprehend and litigate migrants, not individual states.
Uthmeier initially directed authorities in the Sunshine State to stop immigration arrests from being carried out, but he reworded his directive just days later — saying he actually “cannot prevent” the arrests from happening, according to the Miami Herald. Williams lashed out at Uthmeier and his legal team at a hearing last Tuesday and demanded answers.
The Miami Herald quoted several attorneys who scoffed at Uthmeier’s claims, including Brian Tannebaum, described as “a notable South Florida criminal defense attorney and ethics expert.” He called Uthmeier’s strategy “Trump lite” and part of “an intentional effort” to “take on the judge” and the courts.
Or to put it more bluntly, it’s an intentional effort to override the rule of law and make the Trump/MAGA regime more authoritarian.
Not surprisingly, Ol’ Pudding Fingers is all in. More from the Herald:
DeSantis, who appointed Uthmeier to the attorney general post, backed him up. The governor circulated Uthmeier’s Wednesday letter and said “immigration law must be enforced and FL is leading on working with the Trump administration to get it done.”
By the way, while Uthmeier refuses to protect the U.S. rule of law, he has gone all out to protect Teslas.
