Civics 101 Federal

[NorCalBusa]

DOJ promises 'a lot more action' on gun rights with new Second Amendment enforcement section​

Harmeet Dhillon says department will fight unreasonable state and local restrictions​

By Andrea Margolis Fox News 12/8/2025

Department of Justice (DOJ) official Harmeet Dhillon announced that her agency is unveiling a gun rights-focused section on Monday, promising Americans that "a lot more action" on gun rights enforcement will be taken.

Dhillon, who works as an assistant attorney general for the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said that her division had started a Second Amendment section this month.

"I'm really excited about this," said Dhillon. "For the first time, the DOJ Civil Rights Division and the DOJ at large will be protecting and advancing our citizens' right to bear arms as part of our civil rights work."

"As Attorney General Pam Bondi has said, the Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and I couldn't agree more with my boss," she added.

Harmeet Dhillon announced a new Second Amendment section in the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, designed to protect gun rights and challenge state restrictions. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
According to Dhillon, the department will fight a variety of state and local courts on gun issues, particularly difficulties around concealed carry permits.

"Some of the things we're seeing, and that is going to be the focus of our work around the country, includes multi-thousand-dollar costs for citizens to apply for concealed carry permits," she said.

"Other jurisdictions are having unreasonably long delays. Other jurisdictions are outlawing guns that should be protected by the Second Amendment under the recent Supreme Court precedent."

She also emphasized that gun rights "equalizes the ability of those of us, women, people with disabilities, and others who might otherwise be more vulnerable to be able to protect ourselves."

"We will be protecting that right here in this Department of Justice," she added. "The president issued an executive order making this clear just two weeks into his tenure, and I've been working on the Second Amendment section ever since I got here to the DOJ."

"So stay tuned. You're going to see a lot more action from this Department of Justice to protect your Second Amendment rights."

Oliver Krawczyk, an attorney who specializes in Second Amendment litigation at Ambler Law, told Fox News Digital that the section creation is a "welcome change," though the DOJ has had a flawed record on the issue.

"For years, individuals and grassroots organizations have had to fight unconstitutional firearm regulations alone, and so federal help will always be appreciated," Krawczyk said. "However, this DOJ should not ignore its own complicity in violating the Second Amendment."

"Rather than resisting ongoing legal challenges to 20th-century federal gun control laws, this DOJ should be working with pro-gun organizations to make the most of President Trump’s limited time in office," he added.

DOJ promises 'a lot more action' on gun rights with new Second Amendment enforcement section

The DOJ is launching a new Second Amendment section to protect gun rights nationwide, pricey concealed carry permits and state restrictions, according to Harmeet Dhillon.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Ro-bo]

But which version of the 2A is the DOJ set on protecting? And how? Submitting amicus briefs to cases that go nowhere for decades?
They've also sent some mixed messages about what they see as the limits to the 2A, but even that's sort of beside the point. How the court's view the 2A, particularly the U.S. supreme court, defines *what* the 2A encompasses. Full stop. That means DOJ can swear to protect the 2A but only within those limits. The DOJ can't force its will, a different interpretation of the 2A, on the states, as that's not within their scope of power.

Is this better than a department of "gun violence"? Sure. But we need a little more than good intent gestures right now.

 

[2muchsoysauce4allthisrice]

Talk is cheap

 

[Deleted member 16735]

at best they can sue sherrifs departments that are delaying ccw licensing. So it's not nothing but it remains to be seen how much they can do. Most of our big issues are at the level of the supreme court deciding if our state laws are legal which the federal DOJ has essentially nothing to do with. They did of course just argue in court that the NFA should remain in place in the SilencerCo case.

 

[GoldensRule]

at best they can sue sherrifs departments that are delaying ccw licensing. So it's not nothing but it remains to be seen how much they can do. Most of our big issues are at the level of the supreme court deciding if our state laws are legal which the federal DOJ has essentially nothing to do with. They did of course just argue in court that the NFA should remain in place in the SilencerCo case.

It's nothing but political bluster, propaganda and pandering.

 

[Deleted member 16735]

It's nothing but political bluster, propaganda and pandering.

How could it possibly!? Yeah no you are probably right

 

[Ro-bo]

at best they can sue sherrifs departments that are delaying ccw licensing. So it's not nothing but it remains to be seen how much they can do. Most of our big issues are at the level of the supreme court deciding if our state laws are legal which the federal DOJ has essentially nothing to do with. They did of course just argue in court that the NFA should remain in place in the SilencerCo case.

Right and LASD is unperturbed by being sued because they're just carrying out the wishes of the state of California, who is less perturbed by the thought of the feds trying to strong arm alternate courses of action. Unfortunately too, the state is right. None of this is lost on the architects of this civil rights division of the USDOJ. They know that ultimately anything they sign onto is subject to the respective appellate court, and that barring a deadly contagion, the majority of 9th circuit judges are going to aid and abet California anyway.

The current administration would be better served (or we would, rather) by using its muscle to convince scotus to take cases that would actually advance the 2A if they were decided favorably. But that's not what this is about.

 

[Jimi Jah]

That 'll be the day! ~ John Wayne