The U.S. Department of Justice has opened two separate legal fronts against Virginia and California, challenging recently enacted state firearm laws that federal officials argue violate constitutional protections.
In one lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the Justice Department accused Virginia and the Virginia State Police of enforcing legislation that allegedly prevents the purchase and sale of commonly owned semi-automatic rifles. According to the department, the measure amounts to an unconstitutional restriction on firearms that are widely possessed by law-abiding Americans.
Federal officials contend that the Virginia law improperly targets ordinary semi-automatic rifles, arguing that such firearms fall within the protections guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
In a separate legal action filed the same day, the Justice Department challenged California’s recently introduced law commonly referred to by state officials as the “Glock Ban.” The federal government is seeking to block the measure, maintaining that it conflicts with constitutional firearm rights.
The two lawsuits mark the latest effort by the Justice Department to contest state-level gun regulations, setting up fresh courtroom battles over the extent to which states can impose restrictions on firearms while remaining within constitutional limits.
The cases are expected to add to the ongoing national debate over gun regulation and the balance between public safety measures and constitutional protections for firearm ownership.
