US Justice Department sues Virgin Islands Police Department over gun permit practices

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), alleging that the territory’s firearms licensing practices violate the Second Amendment by imposing unconstitutional delays and requirements on lawful gun owners.

In a complaint filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands, the Justice Department said applicants for gun permits have faced prolonged delays in receiving decisions and have been subjected to unreasonable conditions before licenses are issued. These include requirements such as bolted-in gun safes and other measures that the department argues go beyond what the Constitution allows.

The lawsuit also challenges the VIPD’s continued enforcement of a “proper cause” requirement that closely mirrors a New York law struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022. In that ruling—New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen—the court held that requiring applicants to show a special need or justification to obtain a gun permit was unconstitutional. The Justice Department says that decision applies fully to the Virgin Islands.

“This Civil Rights Division will protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. She said the lawsuit was brought by the department’s newly established Second Amendment Section to ensure applicants receive timely permit decisions “without unconstitutional obstruction.”

U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper for the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands said the territory’s firearms licensing laws and practices are inconsistent with the Constitution.

“This lawsuit seeks to uphold the rights of law-abiding citizens to bear arms in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Sleeper said.

According to the complaint, residents have submitted numerous complaints describing lengthy delays, burdensome requirements and, in some cases, what the Justice Department described as unconstitutional home searches conducted as part of the permitting process. Federal officials said such practices mirror the types of licensing schemes the Supreme Court has already ruled unlawful.

The lawsuit seeks to bring the Virgin Islands Police Department into compliance with constitutional standards governing firearms permitting and licensing.