The US Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has filed lawsuits against California and Virginia over their gun laws, in what officials describe as an unprecedented effort to expand and enforce Second Amendment rights. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Fox News Digital that the department has launched more than a dozen legal challenges to firearm restrictions across the country, aiming to establish broader constitutional precedent. The move matters because it signals a coordinated, government-led push to reshape US gun law through the courts.

Dhillon pointed to challenges involving Denver's AR-15 ban, Colorado's large-capacity magazine restrictions, concealed carry permit delays in Los Angeles County, firearm rules in the US Virgin Islands and restrictions in the District of Columbia. She noted the approach marks a departure from previous administrations, including that of George W Bush, which defended gun rights through Supreme Court filings such as District of Columbia v Heller but did not use the Civil Rights Division to file affirmative lawsuits against state or local laws. Dhillon stressed the strategy is selective and appeal-focused, seeking lasting precedent rather than contesting every firearm restriction.