President Donald Trump’s Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the city of Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, claiming the city “unconstitutionally bans certain constitutionally protected semi-automatic rifles.”

“The Constitution is not a suggestion and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement about the suit, adding, “Denver’s ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles directly violates the right to bear arms. This Department of Justice will vigorously defend the liberties of law-abiding citizens nationwide.”

The Denver area has been plagued by some of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, beginning in 1999 with the Columbine High School massacre. In April of 2025, Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed into law one of the strictest gun control regulations in the country. “Under the new law, it is illegal to buy, sell and make most semi-automatic firearms without background checks and training,” reported CBS News at the time, which noted Republicans planned to immediately challenge the law in court.

Both Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) have rejected pressure from the Trump administration to roll back the state’s gun laws. On Monday, Johnson responded to a Trump admin ultimatum to move to repeal the laws or face a lawsuit by saying, “We’re here today to let them know that our answer is hell no.”

Johnston also brought up the state’s dark history with mass shootings in pushing back against the Trump administration, arguing that Coloradoans overwhelmingly want action against assault weapons.

The DOJ’s statement on its lawsuit declared, “These laws unconstitutionally infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in common use for lawful purposes.” The statement added:

As the complaint explains, the City enforces an ordinance that makes it a crime to possess so-called “assault weapons.” But that the City’s ban includes AR-15-style rifles, which are the most popular rifles in America. Law-abiding Americans own tens of millions of rifles like those banned by the City.

“The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit a complaint,” concluded the DOJ, soliciting requests from citizens to join their legal efforts.

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