The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of Washington, D.C., challenging the city’s ban on AR-15 rifles and other firearms that the DOJ argues are protected under the Second Amendment.
The lawsuit, announced on December 22, follows recent DOJ actions defending federal firearm regulations such as those imposed by the National Firearms Act. The DOJ contends that D.C.’s gun laws require registration with MPD but broadly prohibit many types of firearms from being registered, which it claims infringes upon constitutional rights.
According to a statement posted by the DOJ:
“Today, the Justice Department sued the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), alleging that the District government and MPD unconstitutionally ban the AR-15 and many other firearms protected under the Second Amendment. The District’s gun laws require anyone seeking to own a gun to register it with D.C. Metro Police. However, the D.C. Code provides a broad registration ban on numerous firearms — an unconstitutional incursion into the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes. MPD’s current pattern and practice of refusing to register protected firearms is forcing residents to sue to protect their rights and to risk facing wrongful arrest for lawfully possessing protected firearms.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented on the case: “Today’s action from the Department of Justice’s new Second Amendment Section underscores our ironclad commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Washington, DC’s ban on some of America’s most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment — living in our nation’s capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon added: “This Civil Rights Division will defend American citizens from unconstitutional restrictions of commonly used firearms, in violation of their Second Amendment rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The newly established Second Amendment Section filed this lawsuit to ensure that the very rights D.C. resident Mr. Heller secured 17 years ago are enforced today — and that all law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes may do so.”
The case references Richard Heller’s 2003 legal challenge against Washington, D.C., which led to a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2008 affirming individuals’ right under the Second Amendment to possess certain types of weapons for self-defense at home.
Despite this ruling, federal officials allege that D.C.’s current practices continue to prevent ownership through restrictive registration policies, resulting in what they describe as wrongful arrests.
The Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing statutes related to civil liberties including those involving police practices and firearm ownership.
Individuals who believe they have been prevented from registering or owning a lawful firearm are encouraged by DOJ officials to submit complaints via https://www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
