DOJ Supports Illinois Assault Weapons Ban Challenge in Seventh Circuit

The Department of Justice under President Trump filed an amicus brief supporting the Firearms Policy Coalition and the NRA in their lawsuit challenging Illinois' Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), which bans so-called "assault weapons" and high-capacity magazines. The DOJ argues that the ban violates the Supreme Court's precedent established in Bruen (2022) and Heller (2008) by prohibiting firearms and magazines commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. Thirty-five Illinois state attorneys, including Madison, Calhoun, and Jersey counties, also filed a friend-of-the-court brief asserting that the ban is unconstitutional because it broadly prohibits entire categories of widely owned firearms without following historical firearm regulation traditions. Illinois officials, including Attorney General Raoul, defend the ban as a necessary measure to prevent gun violence in sensitive public spaces. The DOJ and allied litigants emphasize that the AR-15 and its magazines are constitutionally protected arms, urging the Seventh Circuit to uphold the district court's decision favoring the challenge. This legal battle reflects ongoing tensions between gun rights advocates and state efforts to regulate firearms deemed assault weapons.