The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against California and Virginia, challenging state laws that ban certain semi-automatic firearms and handguns. These legal actions come just a week after the Supreme Court affirmed Second Amendment rights in the case of Wolford v. Lopez.
In California, the department is seeking to block new restrictions on the sale of Glock-style semi-automatic pistols. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated that the administration is taking alleged infringements of the Second Amendment seriously. California Attorney General Rob Bonta had previously refused to negotiate with the Justice Department, asserting that the state's handgun safety laws help prevent accidental discharges and the conversion of semi-automatic pistols into automatic firing weapons. A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration of attempting to dismantle the state's gun safety laws, claiming these measures save lives and contribute to one of the country's lowest gun death rates.
Simultaneously, the Justice Department is suing Virginia over a ban on certain semi-automatic firearms, which are classified as assault weapons under state law. This ban, signed into law by Governor Abigail Spanberger, took effect Wednesday and makes it a misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, or transfer these weapons. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that the Constitution is not a suggestion and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right. Dhillon had previously warned Governor Spanberger that the Justice Department would sue if the legislation was signed. A spokesperson for Governor Spanberger defended the law, stating that firearms designed for maximum casualties do not belong in communities and that the legislation is intended to save lives and protect law enforcement officers.
Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore welcomed the Justice Department's lawsuit, arguing that the state is now using taxpayer dollars to defend an unconstitutional gun ban against the United States. He stated that a Virginia court had already blocked the law and that it should be repealed.
Gun rights advocacy groups also praised the Justice Department's actions. The National Association for Gun Rights and the National Foundation for Gun Rights both indicated that the Supreme Court's recent ruling strengthened the legal basis for these challenges. Hannah Hill of the National Foundation for Gun Rights suggested that the timing was opportune for the Justice Department to challenge gun bans nationwide, especially following the Supreme Court's affirmation of Second Amendment protections.