Nine states, including Virginia, have filed legal briefs in support of Arizona’s new immigration law, arguing that they have preexisting constitutional authority to enforce federal immigration laws within their borders. The filings add political gunpowder to a tense legal showdown between Arizona State officials and the U.S. Department of Justice, which has filed a lawsuit to stop the Arizona law from going into effect July 29.

The public overwhelming supports the Arizona law, which requires police officers to inquire about legal presence if they have a “reasonable suspicion” that people they’ve stopped for another offense are in the country unlawfully.