A group of Congressional Democrats, led by Arizona representatives Raul Grijalva and Ed Pastor, on Tuesday unveiled an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court’s decision to block certain provisions of Arizona’s immigration law, S.B. 1070.

The brief, in which 68 House representatives signed on as amici curiae, or “friends of the court,” supports the Obama administration’s claim that some of the law’s provisions are pre-empted by federal law. In it, the lawmakers also express concern for the law’s practical implications on humanitarian grounds.

“As members of Congress, with authority and responsibility to enact laws governing immigration, amici are aware of the importance of consistent enforcement of those laws throughout the United States,” the brief says. “Amici recognize the careful balance between enforcement priorities and humanitarian interests, and are concerned that Arizona S.B. 1070 disrupts that deliberately constructed balance,” it goes on.

Among other things, Arizona’s immigration law criminalizes being in the state or seeking employment without legal status. It also grants local law enforcement officers authority over immigration matters, requiring them to question the status of anyone they suspect is in the country illegally.

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