Politics

Neither DeSantis’ nor Uthmeier’s offices responded to Miami Herald questions about whether the state has directed police to continue enforcing the law despite the federal court order.

“When I issued the temporary restraining order, it never occurred to me that police officers would not be bound by it,” Williams said. “It never occurred to me that the state attorneys would not give direction to law enforcement so that we would not have these unfortunate arrests.”

At another point in the hearing, the judge said: “There is no such basis,” for the arrests. ”Why aren’t these people being released immediately?”

Yes despite her stay of the state law, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrested the Georgia man in north Florida this week under the statute targeting undocumented immigrants who enter Florida illegally — though it turned out the man is a U.S. citizen, born in Georgia.