The United States Supreme Court has declined to reinstate Florida’s Senate Bill 4-C (SB 4-C), a law that sought to impose criminal penalties on undocumented individuals entering the state. This decision upholds a lower court’s injunction that had previously blocked the law’s enforcement.
SB 4-C, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in February 2025, aimed to create state-level crimes for undocumented entry and re-entry into Florida. The legislation faced immediate legal challenges from civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans for Immigrant Justice, which argued that the law was unconstitutional and preempted by federal immigration authority.
In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a temporary restraining order, later extended to a preliminary injunction, halting the enforcement of SB 4-C. Judge Williams found that the law likely violated the U.S. Constitution by encroaching upon the federal government’s exclusive power to regulate immigration. She noted that the law’s mandatory detention provisions could conflict with federal discretion in immigration enforcement. ([aclu.org](https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-extends-block-on-floridas-extreme-anti-immigrant-law-sb-4-c?utm_source=openai))
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier appealed the injunction to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking a stay that would allow the law’s enforcement during ongoing litigation. However, the appellate court denied the request, stating that Uthmeier had not demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits. The court emphasized the federal government’s longstanding authority over immigration matters. ([tampabay.com](https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/06/07/attorney-general-uthmeier-immigration-law-court-appeal-immigrants/?utm_source=openai))
Undeterred, Attorney General Uthmeier petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to lift the injunction. The Supreme Court’s refusal to do so means that SB 4-C remains unenforceable while the legal challenges continue. This decision aligns with previous court rulings that have consistently blocked similar state-level immigration laws, reinforcing the principle that immigration enforcement falls under federal jurisdiction. ([aclu.org](https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-appellate-court-denies-floridas-request-to-enforce-unconstitutional-anti-immigrant-law-sb-4-c?utm_source=openai))
The Supreme Court’s decision has significant implications for state-level immigration policies, underscoring the judiciary’s role in maintaining the balance of power between state and federal authorities in regulating immigration.
The United States Supreme Court has declined to reinstate Florida’s Senate Bill 4-C (SB 4-C), a law that sought to impose criminal penalties on undocumented individuals entering the state. This decision upholds a lower court’s injunction that had previously blocked the law’s enforcement.
SB 4-C, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in February 2025, aimed to create state-level crimes for undocumented entry and re-entry into Florida. The legislation faced immediate legal challenges from civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans for Immigrant Justice, which argued that the law was unconstitutional and preempted by federal immigration authority.
In April 2025, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a temporary restraining order, later extended to a preliminary injunction, halting the enforcement of SB 4-C. Judge Williams found that the law likely violated the U.S. Constitution by encroaching upon the federal government’s exclusive power to regulate immigration. She noted that the law’s mandatory detention provisions could conflict with federal discretion in immigration enforcement. ([aclu.org](https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-extends-block-on-floridas-extreme-anti-immigrant-law-sb-4-c?utm_source=openai))
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier appealed the injunction to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking a stay that would allow the law’s enforcement during ongoing litigation. However, the appellate court denied the request, stating that Uthmeier had not demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits. The court emphasized the federal government’s longstanding authority over immigration matters. ([tampabay.com](https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/06/07/attorney-general-uthmeier-immigration-law-court-appeal-immigrants/?utm_source=openai))
Undeterred, Attorney General Uthmeier petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to lift the injunction. The Supreme Court’s refusal to do so means that SB 4-C remains unenforceable while the legal challenges continue. This decision aligns with previous court rulings that have consistently blocked similar state-level immigration laws, reinforcing the principle that immigration enforcement falls under federal jurisdiction. ([aclu.org](https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-appellate-court-denies-floridas-request-to-enforce-unconstitutional-anti-immigrant-law-sb-4-c?utm_source=openai))
The Supreme Court’s decision has significant implications for state-level immigration policies, underscoring the judiciary’s role in maintaining the balance of power between state and federal authorities in regulating immigration.