Donald Trump’s Department of Justice is facing criticism following reports that it is exploring ways to prevent a specific group from purchasing firearms.
The second amendment of the United States Constitution is a well-known and often debated clause.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” the amendment states.
For many Americans, this amendment signifies their right to own a gun. However, recent reports suggest the Trump administration might be considering measures that could challenge that right.
According to CNN, two officials privy to internal discussions have revealed these plans, which follow a tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on August 27.
The tragic event claimed the lives of two children and injured eighteen others, including 15 students and three elderly parishioners.
The shooter, Robin Westman, was a 23-year-old transgender woman who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the incident.
In response to the incident, senior Justice Department officials are reportedly considering proposals to restrict transgender people’s ability to own firearms, according to CNN. This move comes despite the fact that most mass shootings in the U.S. are not linked to transgender individuals.
These discussions are still in the early stages, but they have already sparked public backlash, with many labeling the idea as discriminatory and a breach of rights.
Kat Abughazaleh, a former journalist and current Democratic congressional candidate, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “This is an overtly discriminatory civil rights violation. Trans people have the same legal rights as other Americans — end of story. There are lots of good reasons to keep certain people from owning guns. Being trans isn’t one of them.”
Another X user commented: “Trump’s DOJ targeting trans gun owners is a blatant Second Amendment violation—singling out a group based on identity, not actions, reeks of discrimination and sets a dangerous precedent.”
One Justice official indicated that the leadership is discussing whether they could restrict transgender people’s access to firearms by labeling them as mentally ill.
A source mentioned that the objective was to ‘ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms while they are unstable and unwell’.
However, another official highlighted that any such proposal could face legal challenges, particularly since many Americans with mental health issues do not pose a threat to society.
Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School, warned that restricting gun rights could establish a concerning precedent.
“This precedent being used against trans people could be used against veterans with PTSD,” Caraballo told CNN. “It’s a slippery slope to make anyone lose their 2nd amendment rights.”
Responding to the reports, the Justice Department stated: “[We are] actively evaluating options to prevent the pattern of violence we have seen from individuals with specific mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders. No specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.”
If enacted, such a decision would join other actions taken by Trump’s administration against the transgender community, including the military service ban and the directive for federal prisons to house transgender inmates according to their birth-assigned gender.
Contact has been made with the White House for further comments.