Pardon us, but what is wrong with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier?

A week after a federal judge ordered the state to wind down activity at “Alligator Alcatraz,” it looked like the Florida was complying. Kevin Guthrie, the Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, let slip that the Everglades immigrant detention center was “probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days.” 

Great news, although the state is appealing so this saga’s not over yet.

But meanwhile, here was Uthmeier yapping to WINK News in the wake of the ruling, basically asserting that the state would ignore the judge’s order.

“We’re going to continue operating the facility,” he said. “We believe that it’s a fully lawful facility.”

Yo, Jimmy: It doesn’t matter what you think. The judge has ruled and unless you’re granted a stay, or until the decision is overturned on appeal, you’re obligated to respect the ruling.

Unless his plan was to defy the court order and risk being ruled in contempt of court. (But hey, it wouldn’t be Uthmeier’s first time.)

THIS is Florida’s top law enforcement official?

In fact, “Alligator Alcatraz” had Uthmeier’s greasy fingerprints on it from Day One. He was lauded by President Trump as the mastermind behind the plan, which has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Uthmeier seems to have put more thought into the name than whether the state could actually win the inevitable court challenge. Or did Uthmeier think it wouldn’t be challenged?

Uthmeier will face voters for the first time next year as he tries to get elected to the post he was appointed to by Gov. DeSantis. His defiance in the face of the court’s ruling looks like an attempt to throw red meat to “the base’ as he preps his 2026 run. Indeed, the entire “Alligator Alcatraz” spectacle comes across as a political show, a “coming out” party for Uthmeier, a stab at generating greater name recognition ahead of 2026.

Then, he could be facing Democratic candidate Jose Javier Rodriguez — a former state legislator who last week had this to say about Uthmeier on social media:

“Florida’s Attorney General should defend the law, not defy it… Instead of respecting the law, Uthmeier has chosen to double down, openly declaring he will continue operating a facility the court has already deemed unlawful, only to keep putting on a political show for Washington.”

“Floridians,” he said, “deserve an Attorney General who will enforce the law, not flout it,” he said.

Agreed. And at the ballot box in 2026 you’ll have a chance to vote for that — by voting against Uthmeier.