Justice Department Sues D.C. Over Second Amendment Violations

In a major move to defend the rights of gun owners, the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, arguing that the city’s gun laws are not only excessive but unconstitutional.

The suit targets D.C.’s ban on certain semi-automatic rifles, including the widely owned AR-15, asserting that the city is illegally criminalizing law-abiding Americans for owning firearms that are protected under the Second Amendment. According to the DOJ, D.C. police have routinely arrested individuals simply for possessing firearms inside their homes that are legally protected but “not registerable” under the district’s stringent laws.

“Living in our nation’s capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi, who now leads the DOJ under President Trump.

This lawsuit marks the debut of the DOJ’s newly formed Second Amendment Section, an aggressive legal team formed specifically to take on anti-gun jurisdictions across the country. And D.C., with its deeply entrenched anti-gun policies, is first on the list.

Bondi emphasized the broader implications “Washington, D.C.’s ban on some of America’s most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment.”

Let’s be clear:

• The AR-15 is the most commonly owned rifle in America, with estimates suggesting over 20 million legally owned nationwide.

• In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court already ruled that D.C.’s handgun ban was unconstitutional. This new suit seeks to enforce the very precedent the city continues to ignore.

• D.C. residents must register all firearms with local police, yet semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 cannot be registered, creating a trap where legal ownership becomes criminal by default.

According to the DOJ’s complaint, residents found possessing these firearms even for lawful purposes like home defense face anything from administrative fines to a year in jail and a $2,500 penalty. That’s not public safety that’s targeting citizens for daring to exercise their constitutional rights.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon put it plainly “The very rights D.C. resident Mr. Heller secured 17 years ago are being ignored today and we are here to ensure they are enforced.”

The lawsuit comes amid heightened scrutiny of D.C.'s leadership. In August, President Trump ordered federal agents and National Guard support to D.C. in response to spiking crime and a lack of enforcement from local leadership. That order was soon followed by the resignation of Police Chief Pamela Smith, who is under fire for allegedly manipulating crime statistics.

While the Metropolitan Police Department refuses to comment on ongoing litigation, it’s clear that D.C.’s far-left leadership is more concerned with targeting lawful gun owners than stopping actual criminals a common theme in Democrat-run cities.

With crime surging and public confidence collapsing, D.C.’s leaders are doubling down on failed policies, punishing law-abiding citizens while giving free rein to violent offenders. The DOJ’s lawsuit is not just a defense of gun rights it’s a wake-up call to a city that’s abandoned the Constitution in favor of political theater.

President Trump is keeping his word defending the Second Amendment and going to bat for the American people, even in the belly of the federal beast.

Share this article with fellow supporters of the Second Amendment or subscribe to our newsletter for updates on legal battles defending your rights.