A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked a newly enacted Florida law that would have criminalized undocumented immigrants entering or re-entering the state, ruling that the state measure encroaches on the federal government’s constitutional authority over immigration policy.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a 14-page order granting a temporary restraining order against the law, known as SB 4-C, just two days after the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Farmworker Association of Florida, and two individual plaintiffs filed suit. The plaintiffs argued the law violated the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and Commerce Clause, and requested an emergency halt to its enforcement.
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In her decision, Judge Williams found that the plaintiffs “persuasively posit that SB 4-C unlawfully encroaches” on the federal government’s exclusive power to regulate immigration. She pointed specifically to the law’s mandatory prison sentences and detention provisions as conflicting with the flexibility afforded to federal immigration officials.
“Even when federal officials choose to commence dual prosecutions under both laws, SB 4-C’s mandatory detention provision limits federal law enforcement discretion to recommend pre-trial release and obstructs federal courts’ ability to conduct proceedings requiring defendants’ presence,” Williams wrote.
SB 4-C, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature during a February special session and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, established new state-level criminal offenses for undocumented immigrants entering Florida. Under the law, a first offense carried a minimum nine-month prison sentence, with harsher penalties for repeat violations.
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While Judge Williams based her ruling primarily on Supremacy Clause grounds, she also signaled support for the plaintiffs’ argument under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, which prohibits states from regulating interstate and international commerce.
The temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days, pending further proceedings. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for April 18, where the court will consider extending the block as litigation continues.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans for Immigrant Justice. “The court’s order halts a dangerous and discriminatory law that sought to criminalize people for simply moving within the United States,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “Florida’s leaders may want to score political points by targeting immigrants, but the Constitution doesn’t allow it.”
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The DeSantis administration has yet to file a formal response in court. Lawmakers had promoted SB 4-C as a measure to support President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. It was one of two immigration-related bills advanced during the special session, though the lawsuit does not challenge the second law.
The legal challenge marks the latest chapter in a growing national battle over the limits of state-level immigration enforcement — a flashpoint that has intensified under the renewed Trump administration.
Judge Williams’ order represents an early but significant victory for immigrant advocacy groups, who argue that states like Florida are overstepping their bounds in attempts to enforce federal immigration law on their own terms.
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