Latest news with #contempt
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Florida attorney general held in civil contempt over immigration law
A federal judge found Florida's attorney general in civil contempt of court Tuesday for violating a restraining order, which required state attorneys to tell officers to stop enforcing a newly enacted immigration law. That same judge, Southern Florida District Judge Kathleen M. Williams had issued a temporary restraining order in April halting the enforcement of a law that made it a state crime for any 'adult unauthorized alien' to enter or reenter Florida, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of nine months. That law had been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in February. Afterward, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) sent a letter to state law enforcement agencies saying he could not prevent them enforcing the new law. '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,' he wrote in the letter. Williams on Tuesday found this letter to be in contempt of her order. The letter followed a previous memo from Uthmeier that informed law enforcement agencies of the temporary restraining order and instructed them to comply with it. But the second letter, which Uthmeier said was sent to clarify his original memo sent five days earlier, told law enforcement: 'Judge Williams ordered my office to notify you of the evolving scope of her order, and I did so. But I cannot prevent you from enforcing [the new law], where there remains no judicial order that properly restrains you from doing so.' Uthmeier said on X, 'If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it.' Williams, who was appointed by then-President Barack Obama, ordered Uthmeier to file biweekly reports on whether any arrests, detentions or other actions had been made under the new law. He must immediately inform the court if he becomes aware of any arrests, she added. If he does not comply, the court would consider further sanctions such as fines, she wrote. The lawsuit challenging the Florida law, introduced as Senate Bill 4-C, was led by the Florida Immigrant Coalition and argues that immigration is a federal responsibility. Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, which is part of the plaintiffs' legal team, said the law is 'not just unconstitutional — it's cruel and dangerous' when the lawsuit was filed in April. The law also instructs law enforcement to notify federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of any arrests made. A U.S. citizen was arrested and detained for more than 24 hours under the law in April, immigration advocates said. A federal court appeals panel in Atlanta rejected Uthmeier's challenge to Williams' original restraining order earlier this month.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge finds Florida attorney general in contempt for defying court order in major immigration case
A federal judge found Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in civil contempt Tuesday after he snubbed a court order in a high-profile immigration case and then boasted about it in interviews. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams wrote that Uthmeier offered "a series of implausible interpretations of the language he used" to argue he was complying with the order and that those interpretations were not believable. "Litigants cannot change the plain meaning of words as it suits them, especially when conveying a court's clear and unambiguous order," Williams wrote, ordering Uthmeier to file biweekly reports showing he's complying with her order or risk further court actions. Uthmeier's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. Follow live politics coverage here Williams has been presiding over a case challenging immigration laws signed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis that make it a misdemeanor for anybody in the country illegally to enter or re-enter the state. She issued a restraining order in April barring enforcement, and Uthmeier sent out a notice to state agencies informing them of the order, adding that he disagreed with it and intended to appeal. Five days later, on April 23, he sent the law enforcement agencies a second notice, saying his office had submitted a court filing challenging the restraining order. "Judge Williams ordered my office to notify you of the evolving scope of her order, and I did so," he wrote. "But I cannot prevent you from enforcing [the challenged laws], where there remains no judicial order that properly restrains you from doing so. 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." Williams asked why she shouldn't find Uthmeier in contempt, and he contended that he hadn't violated her order because he hadn't enforced the new laws and that he had notified state agencies about her order. Williams noted that he struck a far more defiant tone in media interviews. "This judge is considering whether or not to hold me in contempt. But I am not going to rubber-stamp her order. I'm not going to direct law enforcement to stand down on enforcing the Trump agenda and carrying out Florida's law," Williams quoted him as saying in a May 6 interview. "I'm not going to bow down," he added. In another interview two days later, Uthmeier said that "she's issuing this order and saying you gotta tell them all to stand down. I'm not gonna do that." Williams said the comments were "relevant" because "Uthmeier's repeated reinforcement of his message that law enforcement is not bound, intentional or not, increases the chance of harm from his continued noncompliance." "To be clear, the Court is unconcerned with Uthmeier's criticism and disapproval of the Court and the Court's Order. But respect for the integrity of court orders is of paramount importance," Williams wrote. She said he "is free to broadcast his continued appeal of the Court's injunction and his view that the Court's rulings are erroneous. However, when instructed to inform law enforcement that they are proscribed from enforcing an enjoined law, he may not tell them otherwise." She ordered him to file biweekly reports on whether there have been any arrests or detentions under the new laws. "Finally, if Uthmeier does not comply with these remedial sanctions, the Court will consider further sanctions, including fines and fees to compensate Plaintiffs for costs of enforcing the Court's order." This article was originally published on
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge finds Florida attorney general in contempt over immigration law
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday found Florida's attorney general to be in civil contempt over her ruling that put on hold a new state law making it a misdemeanor for people living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier was unconvincing in his arguments that he didn't flout her injunction putting the law on hold. Uthmeier had sent out a memo saying the judge was legally wrong and that he couldn't prevent police officers and deputies from enforcing the law. A contempt hearing was held two weeks ago in Miami. 'Litigants cannot change the plain meaning of words as it suits them, especially when conveying a court's clear and unambiguous order," Williams wrote. "Fidelity to the rule of law can have no other meaning.' For sanctions, the judge ordered Uthmeier to file biweekly reports to her about whether any arrests, detentions or law enforcement actions have been made under the law, which is being challenged in court by immigrant rights groups. In a social media post, Uthmeier said, 'If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it.' A day ago, the judge denied a request by Uthmeier to put on hold her earlier injunction while it is being appealed. The injunction barred law enforcement from enforcing the immigration law, as Williams said it's likely the law will be found unconstitutional. Williams' decision followed an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling earlier this month denying a similar request from Uthmeier. The appellate judges said the case was far from being resolved. 'But we're mindful that the burden in this posture is for the Attorney General to make a 'strong showing' that he is likely to succeed on the merits. And we do not think he tips the balance in his favor,' the judges wrote, noting Uthmeier's 'seemingly defiant posture' regarding Williams' earlier order. After Williams issued her original order, Uthmeier sent a memo to state and local law enforcement officers telling them to refrain from enforcing the law, even though he disagreed with the injunction. But five days later, he sent a memo saying the judge was legally wrong and that he couldn't prevent police officers and deputies from enforcing the law. 'Again, he may well be right that the district court's order is impermissibly broad," the appellate judges said of Uthmeier. "But that does not warrant what seems to have been at least a veiled threat not to obey it.' ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @
CBS News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Abrego Garcia's lawyers ask Maryland judge to fine Trump administration for contempt
Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia have asked a federal judge in Maryland to impose fines against the Trump administration for contempt, arguing that it flagrantly ignored court orders for several weeks to return him to the U.S. from El Salvador. Abrego Garcia's attorneys said the administration claimed to be powerless to retrieve him, even while it secretly built a human smuggling case against him. The U.S. brought Abrego Garcia to a federal court in Nashville, Tennessee, last week to face those charges. "The Government's defiance has not been subtle," the attorneys said in a filing late Wednesday. "It has been vocal and sustained and flagrant." Request to force the release of federal documents The attorneys are also asking U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis to compel the release of documents the federal government withheld by claiming they contain protected state secrets. Or as an alternative, the lawyers suggested a special master to investigate the government's "willful noncompliance" of court orders. "What the Government improperly seeks to hide must be exposed for all to see," Abrego Garcia's attorneys wrote. Their request came a day after the Trump administration said it will ask Xinis to dismiss the case, with U.S. attorneys describing recent accusations by Abrego Garcia's attorneys as baseless, desperate and disappointing. "But the proof is in the pudding — Defendants have returned Abrego Garcia to the United States just as they were ordered to do," they wrote. Contempt was possible, legal experts said Legal experts said last month that the Abrego Garcia case may be headed for contempt. And the request by his attorneys adds to the ongoing friction between the White House and the courts during President Donald Trump's second term. Courts can hold parties to civil litigation or criminal cases in contempt for disobeying their orders. The penalty can take the form of fines or other civil punishments, or even prosecution and jail time, if pursued criminally. But contempt processes are slow and deliberative, and, when the government's involved, there's usually a resolution before penalties kick in. How the Abrego Garcia case got to this point The U.S. mistakenly deported Abrego Garcia to an El Salvador prison in March. The expulsion violated a U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 that shielded him from deportation to his native country because he likely faced gang persecution there. Abrego Garcia's American wife sued, prompting Xinis to order his return on April 4. The Supreme Court ruled April 10 that the administration must work to bring him back. Arguments ensued over the next several weeks about whether the Trump administration was following those orders or not. Trump also said publicly that he could return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. with a call to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. Xinis ordered U.S. attorneys to submit documents and testimony to show what the government had done to follow her orders. The Trump administration claimed that much of that information is protected under the state secrets privilege. The judge has not ruled on that matter.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Abrego Garcia's lawyers ask judge to fine Trump administration for contempt
Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia have asked a federal judge in Maryland to impose fines against the Trump administration for contempt, arguing that it flagrantly ignored court ordersfor several weeks to return him to the U.S. from El Salvador. Abrego Garcia's attorneys said the administration claimed to be powerless to retrieve him, even while it secretly built a human smuggling case against him. The U.S. brought Abrego Garcia to a federal court in Nashville, Tennessee last week to face those charges. 'The Government's defiance has not been subtle,' the attorneys said in a filing late Wednesday. 'It has been vocal and sustained and flagrant.' The attorneys also are asking U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis to compel the release of documents the federal government withheld by claiming they contain protected state secrets. Or as an alternative, the lawyers suggested a special master to investigate the government's 'willful noncompliance' of court orders. 'What the Government improperly seeks to hide must be exposed for all to see,' Abrego Garcia's attorneys wrote. Their request came a day after the Trump administration said it will ask Xinis to dismiss the case, with U.S. attorneys describing recent accusations by Abrego Garcia's attorneys as baseless, desperate and disappointing. 'But the proof is in the pudding — Defendants have returned Abrego Garcia to the United States just as they were ordered to do,' they wrote. Legal experts said last month that the Abrego Garcia case may be headed for contempt. And the request by his attorneys adds to the ongoing friction between the White House and the courts during President Donald Trump 's second term. Courts can hold parties to civil litigation or criminal cases in contempt for disobeying their orders. The penalty can take the form of fines or other civil punishments, or even prosecution and jail time, if pursued criminally. But contempt processes are slow and deliberative, and, when the government's involved, there's usually a resolution before penalties kick in. The U.S. mistakenly deported Abrego Garcia to an El Salvador prison in March. The expulsion violated a U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 that shielded him from deportation to his native country because he likely faced gang persecution there. Abrego Garcia's American wife sued, prompting Xinis to order his return on April 4. The Supreme Court ruled April 10 that the administration must work to bring him back. Arguments ensued over the next several weeks about whether the Trump administration was following those orders or not. Trump also said publicly that he could return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. with a call to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. Xinis ordered U.S. attorneys to submit documents and testimony to show what the government had done to follow her orders. The Trump administration claimed that much of that information is protected under the state secrets privilege. The judge has not ruled on that matter.
