This Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court will listen to arguments from the state of Arizona over its right to enforce its immigration law. The federal government will counter Arizona by saying only it can write immigration laws through its constitutional authority and that if individual states were allowed, it would invite legal havoc causing problems with foreign countries.

The case will be watched closely by other states, as five have recently passed immigration laws that are very strict and parts of those laws, hinge on the outcome of the Arizona case. Also watching closely will be a large number of illegal immigrants.

Legal experts say the stakes are very high in this since a precedent will be in play and interaction between minorities, in particular Hispanics, in the U.S. and law enforcement, could be greatly affected.

Sixteen states have filed a brief in support of Arizona. In that brief, it says, “states have an authority to arrest based on violations of our federal laws.”

On the other side, 11 states and over 40 countries filed briefs in support of the federal government, one example of how broad the resonance of the battle of Arizona is.

A ruling is expected sometime in June on the sections of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 that have been disputed. One particular section requires local and state police in Arizona to determine the legal immigration status of anyone that is lawfully stopped if there exists a reasonable suspicion the person may not legally be in the U.S.

There are other disputed parts in the law, all of which have direct links to illegal immigrants and their status in the U.S.