Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration recently filed lawsuits against California and Virginia after both states implemented what they claim are "unconstitutional" new gun bans.
In a press release shared on Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced that it had filed a suit against California over a newly enacted ban on purchases of handguns manufactured by Glock and guns with similar firing mechanisms.
In another release the same day, the DOJ announced it had also sued the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Virginia State Police over their recent ban on the purchase and sale of semi-automatic rifles.
The DOJ is arguing in both cases that the laws violate the Second Amendment, which states that the "right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued in the filings, "The Constitution is not a suggestion, and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right."
Attorneys general in both states have been adamantly defending the new laws and vowed to fight back in court.
The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta contested that the state has "effective and constitutional gun safety laws," which have "helped drive firearm death rates to record lows."
The office of Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, meanwhile, argued that the measure "keeps Virginians safe, protects law enforcement, and safeguards communities across the Commonwealth."