Yesterday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posted a video on X announcing a new Second Amendment section inside the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice. Last month, AmmoLand writer John Crump broke this story when the plans for the unit were first released. Now, with Dhillon’s on-camera announcement, gun owners have a better picture of what this new branch of the Civil Rights Division is supposed to do — and a lot of questions about whether it will actually stay pro-gun.

In her video, Dhillon states that the Second Amendment is “not a second-class right” and that, for the first time, the Civil Rights Division has created a specific section to “protect and advance our citizens’ right to bear arms” as part of its civil-rights work. She calls the right of law-abiding Americans to keep, bear, and use commonly known firearms “fundamental,” and promises that this Justice Department has “a lot of 2A work planned” on top of what it has already done.

On paper, that sounds huge, and it is something that gun owners should celebrate. For decades, the federal civil-rights bureaucracy mostly pretended the right to keep and bear arms didn’t exist. Now, the DOJ is saying the Second Amendment is as important to defend as the First Amendment, and that is a substantial shift.

What Will the 2A Section Do for Gun Owners

According to Crump’s earlier reporting and outside coverage, the new office, called the Second Amendment Section, is scheduled to formally open in early December. Its stated mission is to review state and local gun laws, permits, and policies for conflicts with Supreme Court precedent and the Second Amendment, and to step in when jurisdictions cross the line.

Dhillon’s video spells out the kinds of abuses this Section says it will target, and what is said is as telling as what is left out. Gun owners hoping that the Second Amendment Section will turn the DOJ’s opinion on NFA items in the right direction are likely to be let down. However, there are some positives we can hope to achieve before the next election cycle inevitably reverses all the good work done under this administration.

What gun owners have glimpsed from this DOJ so far is promising and far better than what we received in the past. We have already seen this DOJ go after the Los Angeles County Sheriff for their outrageous permitting delays. That lawsuit has specifically targeted LA Sheriffs for dragging out background checks and interviews for months or years, leaving people defenseless while their paperwork gathers dust. If you are a gun owner in an anti-gun state, this sort of action from the DOJ is what you have dreamed of for years. While Los Angeles is a good start, there are still other states, such as New York and New Jersey, that are notoriously restrictive on carry permits.

There have also been a few amicus briefs delivered by the DOJ that are worthy of celebration. In Barnett, Dhillon argued that the AR-15 can not be banned, and in Wolford, argued against unnecessary restrictions on carry on private property.

Dhillon also leans into the self-defense angle, arguing that the right to bear arms levels the playing field for people who would otherwise be easy victims. In her words, criminals are less likely to target a house protected by an armed citizen, and the Second Amendment “equalizes the ability” of women, people with disabilities, and others who might be more vulnerable to protect themselves.

The new Section is being sold as an enforcement arm with the same tools that the DOJ already uses in other civil rights contexts: investigations, lawsuits, amicus briefs, and statements of interest filed in key 2A cases around the country.

Great news — I’m excited to announce the new 2A section of @CivilRights!

The right of law-abiding American citizens to keep, bear, & use commonly known firearms is fundamental, and this @JusticeDept has a lot of 2A work planned, in addition to what we’ve already done! pic.twitter.com/L4Acg72k7A

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) December 8, 2025

These moves are exactly what many gun owners said they wanted to see after Bruen: the federal government bringing the hammer down on states and counties that try to slow-roll or nullify the Supreme Court. The new Second Amendment Section is supposed to be the permanent home for that work.

Gun Owners Remain Cautiously Optimistic

If this Section achieves what Dhillon promises, it could mark a historic shift in how the federal government treats the right to keep and bear arms.

For regular gun owners, that could mean the ability to actually obtain a carry permit in previously restrictive states. If the DOJ starts treating months-long delays and sky-high fees as civil rights violations, counties like L.A. could be forced to clean up their act or face being dragged into federal court again. This would also include the ability to push back on post-Bruen “resistance” laws rapidly. Think “sensitive place” maps that cover half a state, private-property bans like Wolford, or prohibitions on common rifles and magazines. A dedicated 2A Section means there are lawyers within the DOJ whose entire job is to pursue those violations.

The Second Amendment finally being treated like other civil rights is something many gun owners, myself included, will have to wait and see before we believe it. For years, anti-gun politicians, aided by lawyers, have treated gun ownership as a privilege they could legislate and regulate out of existence. A Second Amendment unit within Civil Rights is, at the very least, a public acknowledgment that the right to keep and bear arms is a civil right that deserves enforcement, not just lip service.

If you’re a gun owner stuck in a hostile state, the idea of Trump’s DOJ sending federal civil-rights lawyers after your local sheriff, governor, or licensing bureau is pretty appealing.

Here’s the other side of the coin, and AmmoLand readers know this part well. Even as the DOJ talks tough about protecting the Second Amendment, the same department continues to take actions that undermine those promises. As this Section is being created, the DOJ is actively defending the National Firearms Act with anti-gun rhetoric that sounds like it was pulled straight from Everytown’s mission statement. They have repeatedly attempted to obtain membership lists of gun rights organizations, and they continue to defend Biden’s “engaged in the business” rule.

So while Dhillon is on X talking about a Second Amendment Section and promising aggressive enforcement, her own department and her “boss” are still in court defending the very gun-control laws that groups like GOA, FPC, SAF, and NRA are fighting to overturn.

All-in on 2A, or just a new label?

The big question now is quite simple: Will the Second Amendment Rights Section consistently go after states, cities, and agencies that violate the Second Amendment, eliminate magazine and assault weapon bans, and help establish the right to carry lawfully across all 50 states and local jurisdictions?

Or is this going to be a selective enforcement tool, while DOJ quietly protects federal gun-control schemes and legacy laws like the NFA?

The early signs are mixed. On the plus side, suing Los Angeles over CCW delays and backing gun owners in Illinois and Hawaii are real, concrete steps that anti-gun administrations simply never took. On the negative side, DOJ hasn’t backed off its defense of the NFA or the “engaged in the business” rule and has shown a worrying appetite for prying into gun-rights memberships.

For now, the new Section looks like a genuine opportunity and a test. If Dhillon and Bondi keep treating the Second Amendment as a real civil right, not just a slogan for speeches, this Section could become one of the most important tools gun owners have ever had at the federal level.

If they don’t, then “Second Amendment Section” will go down as just another D.C. brand name slapped on a bureaucracy that talks a big game while the government keeps coming after your guns. It also has to be questioned what this Second Amendment Section would mean under an anti-gun administration.

Remember that the same DOJ talking about protecting your rights is still defending the NFA in court using anti-gun rhetoric.

The Second Amendment Rights Section is here. Whether it ends up being a battering ram for gun rights or just a new sign on an old office door will depend on what cases the DOJ actually takes.

About Duncan Johnson:

Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy. Duncan is a regular contributor to AmmoLand News and serves as part of the editorial team responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.