Trump Administration Sues DC Over Gun Regulations
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint names the Washington Metropolitan Police Department and outgoing chief Pamela Smith as defendants. DOJ argues the city’s restrictions on certain semi‑automatic firearms infringe the Second Amendment.
The department cites the Supreme Court’s 2008 Heller decision, which affirms an individual right to own firearms that are in “common use today.” It claims Washington’s bans on weapons such as the AR‑15 prohibit law‑abiding residents from registering these firearms and expose them to criminal penalties.
No individual plaintiffs from Washington are named; DOJ relies on broad federal jurisdiction granted by the 1994 crime law to challenge the city’s statutes.
This action follows a second DOJ suit this month against the U.S. Virgin Islands over gun restrictions. It is part of an ongoing dispute between the federal government and Washington, which includes a summer law‑enforcement intervention and a legal challenge to a National Guard deployment.
Metropolitan Police spokesman Sean Hickman said the department will not comment on the pending litigation.