DOJ Establishes New Gun Rights Section to Enforce Second Amendment Protections

Department of Justice official Harmeet Dhillon announced Monday that the agency is creating a dedicated Second Amendment section within its Civil Rights Division, signaling a major shift in federal priorities toward gun rights enforcement.

“I’m really excited about this,” said Dhillon, who serves as an assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. “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.”

The new section, established this month, will focus on challenging state and local restrictions that the department views as unconstitutional barriers to gun ownership and concealed carry permits. Dhillon emphasized that the initiative aligns with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s position that “the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.”

According to Dhillon, the department has identified several concerning practices across various jurisdictions that will become immediate priorities for enforcement action. These include excessive fees for concealed carry permits that can reach into thousands of dollars, unreasonable processing delays, and prohibitions on firearms that should receive constitutional protection under recent Supreme Court precedent.

“We will be protecting that right here in this Department of Justice,” Dhillon stated. “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.”

The move represents a significant policy change within the department, positioning gun rights as a civil rights issue. Dhillon specifically highlighted how firearm access “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.”

This initiative comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to expand gun rights protections. Recently, Washington D.C. officials dramatically reduced wait times for gun permits from months to just days as part of the administration’s crime reduction strategy.

Legal experts have offered mixed reactions to the announcement. Oliver Krawczyk, an attorney specializing in Second Amendment litigation at Ambler Law, told Fox News Digital that while the section creation is a “welcome change,” he cautioned that the DOJ has historically had a flawed record on gun rights.

“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.”

Krawczyk suggested that rather than simply defending against legal challenges to existing federal gun control laws, the department should actively collaborate with pro-gun organizations to maximize policy changes during President Trump’s term.

The announcement follows several significant legal victories for gun rights advocates. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court ruled California’s ammunition background check requirements unconstitutional, part of a pattern of judicial decisions expanding Second Amendment protections following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which established a new test for evaluating gun regulations.

“Stay tuned. You’re going to see a lot more action from this Department of Justice to protect your Second Amendment rights,” Dhillon promised, suggesting that additional enforcement actions and policy initiatives are forthcoming.

The creation of this specialized section signals that gun rights enforcement has become a central priority for the Civil Rights Division, traditionally known for its work on voting rights, housing discrimination, and other civil liberties issues.