Supreme Court blocks contentious Florida immigration law for now

The state of Florida cannot enforce a controversial new law aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from entering the state, the U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday.Why it matters: The high court's rejection of the state's emergency appeal leaves in place a lower court's decision to pause the law while legal challenges continue.Catch up quick: Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on the state's harshest immigration reform yet.The sweeping law directs local governments to partner with federal immigration efforts while broadening the reasons cops can detain immigrants and narrowing protections for undocumented crime victims and witnesses.It made it a felony for certain immigrants to enter Florida and mandated pretrial detention without bond.Policies that impede immigration enforcement are now prohibited in Florida, and sheriffs are required to share inmates' immigration status with ICE. Noncompliance can result in fines and suspension.Zoom in: It immediately faced a challenge from immigrant rights groups on the grounds that it would lead to racial profiling and discrimination.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also said the state law conflicts with federal law that says the federal government, not the states, is responsible for enforcing immigration law. A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction against the law in April.The 11th U.S. Circuit Court refused a request from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to put the order on hold.The intrigue: The Supreme Court did not provide reasoning for rejecting Florida's appeal.No justices noted any dissent.What they're saying: "This denial reaffirms a bedrock principle that dates back 150 years: States may not regulate immigration," said Cody Wofsy, Deputy Director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, said in a statement. "It is past time for states to get the message.""This ruling affirms what the Constitution demands — that immigration enforcement is a federal matter and that no one should be stripped of their liberty without due process," said Bacardi Jackson, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida, said.The other side: Uthmeier told the Supreme Court the law is necessary to shield residents from "the surge of illegal immigration."Uthmeier's office did not immediately respond to Axios for comment.Between the lines: Efforts to arrest and remove unauthorized immigrants appear most aggressive in Florida and other southern states with Democratic-leaning cities, according to an Axios analysis.The analysis shows that local law enforcement agencies in Texas and Florida have been the most cooperative with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in rounding up immigrants through deals known as 287(g) agreements.There are 629 such agreements now in place across the country. About 43% of them are in Florida.What we're watching: The constitutionality of the law is still facing a challenge, like other similar state immigration laws in Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho and Iowa. Those cases are all expected to end up in the Supreme Court.

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