The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit delivered a sharp rebuke on Friday to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier over the state’s new immigration enforcement law — scolding him for making “a veiled threat” to defy a judge’s order blocking local immigrant arrests, while ruling to leave the order in place.

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Back in April, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a 14-day stay that blocked the law in question — signed into effect by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February — which gives state law enforcement the power to arrest and prosecute undocumented immigrants. It is a first-degree misdemeanor now for a person to enter Florida as an “unauthorized alien” under the law.

Williams, a Barack Obama appointee, ordered that the legislation not be enforced, arguing that it was the federal government’s responsibility to apprehend and litigate migrants, not individual states.

State AG gets tongue-lashing from appeals court over ‘veiled threat’ to defy judge’s order

The 11th Circuit delivered a sharp rebuke to Florida AG James Uthmeier over the state’s new immigration enforcement law, scolding him for making “a veiled threat” to defy a federal order blocking it.