Donald Trump’s harsh immigration agenda faced some pushback from the United States Supreme Court, which ruled against a contentious Florida law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis that attempted to outright criminalize undocumented immigrants who set foot in the state. 

Ron DeSantis had passed the law earlier in the year, which instituted a mandatory minimum nine-year sentence if an undocumented immigrant committed the misdemeanor offense of entering the state for the first time. Repeated re-entry into the state would be treated as felony offenses that would mandate escalating prison sentences. 

This law was legally challenged by two individual immigrants, as well as two immigrant advocacy groups. As a result, its enforcement was blocked by Judge Kathleen Williams of the Federal District Court in Miami. When Florida’s Government attempted to appeal this block by escalating things to the Supreme Court, their efforts ultimately failed, with Supreme Court responding: "The application for stay presented to Justice [Clarence] Thomas and by him referred to the Court is denied." 

By refusing to stay the Federal District Court order blocking the Florida law’s enforcement, the Supreme Court has dealt a blow to Donald Trump’s ambitions of instituting the largest immigration crackdown in American history. As a consequence of this decision, Florida currently will not be able to bring up state charges against undocumented immigrants who enter the state, resulting in immigration enforcement remaining strictly under federal jurisdiction.

Supreme Court declines to let Florida enforce its new immigration law https://t.co/cJjAVXfC9Z pic.twitter.com/LuuZQHDVhf

— The Last Word (@TheLastWord) July 10, 2025

Donald Trump has been heavily pushing for states to comply with his anti-immigration platform, to the point of deploying the National Guard and United States Marines to California in response to protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. As this Supreme Court decision shows, however, even states willing to cooperate with President Trump’s agenda will have legal hurdles to face. 

While the Supreme Court has hindered Trump’s agenda with its recent ruling, it has also enabled it on other occasions. On June 23, the Supreme Court stayed a federal judge’s order that blocked the Trump administration from deporting immigrants to South Sudan.

BREAKING

The Supreme Court green lights the Trump admin sending immigrants to war-torn and human-rights abusing South Sudan without process, even though most aren't from there.

Doc https://t.co/nppiU8szPC

Background https://t.co/yXpttVdxtC pic.twitter.com/um18z2rUjU

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 3, 2025

While the Supreme Court’s recent decision will be taken as a victory by immigration advocates and Donald Trump’s opponents, the long-term legal ramifications of these immigration cases remain unclear.

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