Justice Department Sues D.C. Over ‘Unconstitutional’ Gun Laws
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Washington, D.C.’s police department over what it calls a violation of Second Amendment rights, alleging that the city’s gun registration policies criminalize law-abiding Americans.
In a press release, the DOJ announced that its lawsuit challenges the District’s ban on registering certain popular firearms, including AR-15 rifles, which are legal under federal law. The department claims D.C. police have “routinely arrested” citizens for possessing firearms protected by the Constitution but prohibited under local statutes.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case represents the first major action from the DOJ’s new Second Amendment Section, which was created under President Trump to reinforce constitutional protections for gun owners.
“Washington, D.C.’s ban on some of America’s most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment,” Bondi said. “Living in our nation’s capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”
Under current law, D.C. residents must register their firearms with the Metropolitan Police Department. However, the city does not allow registration of semi-automatic rifles, which the lawsuit argues puts gun owners at risk of fines or jail time—even if they only possess the firearms in their homes for self-defense.
“If a law-abiding citizen possesses a Second Amendment-protected firearm that is not registerable in D.C. in the home for the lawful purpose of self-defense, that individual faces anything from an administrative fine to a criminal misdemeanor conviction punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine,” the DOJ’s filing states.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized the importance of upholding the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller decision, which struck down D.C.’s handgun ban 17 years ago.
“This lawsuit ensures that the very rights D.C. resident Mr. Heller secured are enforced today,” Dhillon said. “All law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes must be able to do so.”
The legal battle comes amid heightened federal attention on crime in the capital. Following President Trump’s August order to clamp down on lawlessness in the district, federal agents and National Guard troops have been deployed to patrol the streets. The crackdown also led to political fallout within the Metropolitan Police Department.
MPD Chief Pamela Smith resigned last week amid allegations from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee that she manipulated crime statistics to downplay the city’s violence.
“Let’s be really clear about one thing: Never would I, never will I ever compromise my integrity for a few crime numbers,” Smith said in a press conference, according to NBC 4 Washington.
Jeffrey Carroll is now serving as the interim chief as the city faces renewed scrutiny over its crime policies and gun laws.