DOJ fires warning shot as Spanberger signs gun legislation

Published April 12, 2026 4:10pm ET | Updated April 12, 2026 4:17pm ET



Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) warning that the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will file a lawsuit if Spanberger signs any bills restricting gun rights in Virginia.

“This letter provides formal notice that the Civil Rights Division will commence litigation in the event the Commonwealth of Virginia enacts certain bills that unconstitutionally limit law-abiding Americans’ individual right to bear arms,” Dhillon wrote in the letter. “President Trump issued Executive Order 14206 making clear that this Administration will take affirmative steps to ensure that Second Amendment rights “must not be infringed.” 

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