DOJ Warns Virginia It Will Sue Over AR-15 Ban, Gun Control Bills

Summary

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, formally warned Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger on April 10, 2026, that the DOJ is prepared to sue if the state enacts proposed anti-gun bills, including SB 749 which targets AR-15s, and mandates requiring firearms to be kept inoperable. The warning asserts that such legislation violates the Second Amendment, citing Supreme Court precedents and explicitly stating that the Fourth Circuit's decision in *Bianchi v. Brown* was wrongly decided.