Dhillon Resigns From DOJ, Leaving Its Gun-Rights Push in Question
Harmeet Dhillon, the DOJ assistant attorney general who built out the Civil Rights Division's Second Amendment section, has resigned, closing a short but active chapter for federal gun-rights enforcement.
Snapshot
Dhillon told Fox News she informed White House chief of staff Susie Wiles three weeks before the midterms that she'd "accomplished everything" she set out to do and wanted back into private practice, but agreed to wait until after the election. She formally resigned November 5, and Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly thanked her for leading the division "with conviction" over the past 18 months.
Key points
- Not a forced exit: Dhillon says the resignation was her own call, made weeks before Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterms.
- A new kind of DOJ division: Under Dhillon, the Civil Rights Division stood up a dedicated Second Amendment section — a reversal after decades of the department largely sidelining gun-rights claims.
- Lawsuits with teeth: Her tenure included suits against Montgomery County, Maryland's carry restrictions, California's Glock ban and handgun roster, Virginia's gun and magazine bans, and Denver and Colorado's semi-auto rifle restrictions.
- San Jose fight: One of her last actions challenged San Jose's roughly $1,600 concealed carry application fee and its mandatory gun liability insurance ordinance.
- Uncertain future: The Truth About Guns notes it's unclear whether a replacement will pursue Second Amendment cases with the same intensity.
Quick take
Dhillon's section put real legal pressure on some of the country's most restrictive gun laws, and that momentum doesn't automatically carry over to whoever replaces her. Gun owners watching pending cases in California, Colorado, Virginia, and elsewhere should pay attention to who the DOJ names next.
Read the full story: Mark Chesnut