Case Summary: Along with the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project and Americans for Immigrant Justice, we filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s new extreme anti-immigrant law, Senate Bill 4C (SB 4C), which authorizes state and local law enforcement to imprison people based on their manner of entering the country — powers the Constitution reserves exclusively to the federal government.
The lawsuit is brought on behalf of the Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF), the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), and individual plaintiffs — including longtime Florida residents with pending federal immigration applications and with U.S. citizen family members who rely on their care.
What's at stake: Under SB 4-C, people who entered the country without inspection could be arrested and jailed simply for crossing into Florida — even if they have since gained lawful status, and even if they had not committed any crime. The law also required those arrested to stay in jail before trial, no matter the circumstances.
SB 4-C unfairly targeted immigrants and disrupted the lives of hardworking residents of Florida, creating an intense climate of fear and uncertainty, and threatened the stability of our children, families, and economy. This law wasn’t just cruel — it violated federal law and basic constitutional rights.
The latest: On April 29, 2025, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on Senate Bill 4-C and ruled that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution — meaning the law is blocked for now, while the case continues in court.
On May 29, the court held a show-cause hearing to determine whether the Attorney General had violated the court’s earlier notification requirement. On June 6, the Eleventh Circuit denied the state’s request to stay the injunction pending appeal, and the court set oral argument in the Eleventh Circuit for the week of October 6 in Atlanta. On June 17, the state requested a stay from the Supreme Court. Also on June 17, the district court entered an order holding the Attorney General in civil contempt for violating the notification requirement of her earlier order.