Justice Department finalizes gun rights restoration process for felons

The Justice Department finalized a rule Monday establishing a process for people barred from owning firearms because of criminal convictions to apply for restoration of their gun rights.

The "Federal Firearm Rights Restoration" application process was launched by newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche and represents a significant action in his early tenure at the department. Second Amendment advocates have long pushed for nonviolent individuals with felony convictions to be given a pathway to regain their legal right to own firearms.

"The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety," Blanche said in a statement. He added that the new process will protect "public safety while giving deserving Americans a real path to restoration."

The rule establishes what officials described as a rigorous, commonsense process designed to balance public safety concerns with the restoration of constitutional rights for eligible applicants. The pathway applies to individuals whose firearm ownership rights were previously restricted due to criminal convictions.

The move marks a broader push by the Justice Department to restore gun rights to people with criminal records. The initiative aligns with positions held by Second Amendment advocates who have argued that nonviolent felons should have an avenue to regain their right to bear arms rather than facing permanent deprivation of the constitutional right.

Separately, a federal court ruling issued by Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas invalidated key components of the nearly 100-year-old National Firearms Act in more than a dozen states. The ruling lifted restrictions on the purchase of silencers, used to lessen the sound of gunshots, and certain firearms. The Justice Department was given one week to submit an emergency appeal before the decision took effect but did not do so. The department has more than a month to submit a non-emergency appeal.