DOJ Sues Washington, DC Over Its Semi-Automatic Firearm Ban

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday it's suing the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) over its ban of AR-15s and other firearms.

The Details: The lawsuit alleges the District government and MPD unconstitutionally ban the AR-15 and many other semi-automatic firearms protected under the Second Amendment by refusing to allow their registration. Under DC law, firearms kept in a home or place of business must be registered with police, and possession of an unregistered firearm can result in criminal penalties. The DOJ argues the police department has a pattern or practice of denying registration for firearms that it says are protected under Supreme Court precedent. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suit "underscores our ironclad commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans."

For Context: The lawsuit relies heavily on the Supreme Court's 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms "in common use" for lawful purposes such as self-defense. That case also arose from a challenge to Washington's gun laws, after which the city revised its regulations. Earlier this month, the DOJ also sued the US Virgin Islands over its gun laws alleging it is "obstructing and systemically denying" American citizens their Second Amendment rights.

How the Media Covered It: Washington Post (Lean Left bias) wrote the lawsuit comes as the White House has "heralded gun seizures in DC as proof" that President Trump's "federal law enforcement surge has been a success." It also noted illegal gun possessions was the most common charge among DC arrests involving federal agents. In its coverage, Associated Press (Left) included a chart outlining hundreds of ongoing lawsuits against the Trump administration. Fox News (Right) and emphasized the DOJ's moves to protect the Second Amendment. It heavily cited Bondi's quotes about the lawsuit and mentioned another DOJ announcement that it would be taking "a lot more action" related to gun rights. The Washington Times (Lean Right) quoted a US attorney who said DC's gun laws "went too far". It also said the lawsuit challenges what it calls "a pattern or practice of denying Second Amendment rights" and noted ongoing legal challenges. BBC (Center) noted there's been two "high-profile" shootings in DC since Trump returned to office in January and mentioned violent crime incidents in DC through 2025 were estimated to be 28% lower than the same period in 2024.

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