Amici curiae are the States of Texas, Alabama, Ar- kansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Ore- gon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and West Vir- ginia.1 Amici States have a substantial interest in ensur- ing that federal courts respect the comity, finality, and federalism interests that animate AEDPA. The Ninth Circuit overlooked these interests and effectively coun- termanded AEDPA—specifically, 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(2)—to allow respondents David Martinez Ramirez and Barry Lee Jones to invalidate state-court convictions using evidence Congress chose to exclude from federal-habeas proceedings.