The US Supreme Court has left in place a lower court decision blocking part of a Florida law that makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to cross into the state. The law imposed prison terms for violating it, but the high court rejected this provision without explanation.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law in February, which drew national attention after an American-born citizen was arrested by the highway patrol for crossing from Georgia. Immigrant rights organizations and undocumented immigrants sued, arguing that state law conflicted with federal immigration laws.
The Supreme Court has previously held that states must comply with federal law in cases of conflict, but Florida maintained that state legislation is necessary to curb immigration’s “evil effects”. This decision marks the latest challenge to similar state laws in Oklahoma, Iowa, Idaho, and Texas, which have all been blocked by federal courts.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5430357/supreme-court-florida-immigration