DOJ Creates New Second Amendment Rights Section — A Historic Civil Rights Victory For New York Gun Owners

December 2025 — In the most consequential change to federal civil-rights enforcement in decades, the U.S. Department of Justice has created the first-ever Second Amendment Rights Section within its Civil Rights Division. For New York gun owners facing years-long licensing delays, impossible “sensitive place” restrictions, and unconstitutional state mandates, this may be the turning point they’ve been waiting for.

🔥 BREAKING: DOJ Establishes a Dedicated Second Amendment Rights Section

According to Reuters, the DOJ has launched a brand-new office called the Second Amendment Rights Section, housed within the Civil Rights Division, and set to begin operations on December 4, 2025. (Reuters report)

This is unprecedented. For the first time, the federal government is treating the Second Amendment as a civil right worthy of federal enforcement, investigation, and protection — alongside voting rights, religious freedom, and equal protection.

Even more significant is who is leading the Civil Rights Division: Harmeet K. Dhillon, one of the most respected civil-rights and constitutional litigators in the country. Dhillon has spent years fighting unconstitutional gun restrictions and filing amicus briefs in high-profile Second Amendment cases nationwide.

Under her leadership, the Civil Rights Division is shifting its priorities in a way that could dramatically reshape the national gun-rights landscape — including in states like New York, where unconstitutional licensing delays and restrictive carry laws remain rampant even after the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision.

🏛 Why This Matters: A Federal Civil-Rights Shield for Gun Owners

The Civil Rights Division has historically focused on enforcing laws related to:

• racial discrimination
• religious liberty
• voting rights
• police misconduct
• constitutional violations by government agencies

Now, in a historic shift, the Second Amendment has joined that list.

If a state or county violates your right to keep and bear arms, the DOJ can now intervene as the federal civil-rights enforcer.

This is monumental for gun owners in hostile states. After decades of states like New York weaponizing bureaucracy and ignoring Supreme Court rulings, the federal government is signaling that enough is enough.

📍 Why New York Gun Owners Should Pay Attention — Right Now

New York State may be the single jurisdiction most dramatically affected by this new DOJ Section. For years, New York has systematically ignored constitutional rights through:

• extreme delays in pistol permit processing
• arbitrary “good moral character” denials
• massive “sensitive places” bans under the CCIA
• complete bans on carrying on private property without explicit signage
• ever-changing licensing requirements
• social-media investigations of applicants

Even after NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022) reaffirmed the right to carry outside the home, New York responded not with compliance — but with the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), one of the most restrictive carry laws in U.S. history.

Lawsuits like Antonyuk v. Hochul, Christian v. Nigrelli, Gazzola v. Hochul, and the long-running Corbett cases expose a pattern of statewide resistance to constitutional carry rights.

Now, the DOJ finally has both the mandate and leadership to act.

⚖️ Harmeet Dhillon’s Role: A Proven Fighter for Second Amendment Rights

Harmeet Dhillon is not a bureaucrat — she is a constitutional litigator with years of experience taking on state governments that violate civil liberties. Before joining the DOJ, her law firm filed numerous amicus briefs supporting gun owners in:

• California
• New York
• New Jersey
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland

She argued that “may issue” licensing and arbitrary delays violate both the text and history of the Second Amendment under Bruen.

Now, as head of the Civil Rights Division, Dhillon has the full authority of the federal government behind her. It is difficult to overstate what that means for states that continue to deny, delay, or obstruct lawful gun ownership.

📚 DOJ’s First Move: A Historic Lawsuit Against Los Angeles County

Before announcing the new Section, the DOJ already made history by filing its first-ever affirmative civil-rights lawsuit in support of gun owners. The case targeted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) for:

• systemic delays
• failure to process CCW applications
• using bureaucracy to deny constitutional rights

The lawsuit revealed shocking data:

• Nearly 4,000 applications were submitted
• Only two permits were issued
• Average wait time: 281 days
• Some applicants waited as long as 1,030 days

These delays match — and often understate — what New Yorkers face today.

This lawsuit signals that the DOJ is now willing to sue licensing authorities that violate constitutional carry rights by way of deliberate delay.

🔍 Why New York May Be the DOJ’s Next Target

New York has become a national example of how states attempt to suppress gun rights without explicitly banning them. One of the most powerful examples of this is licensing delays.

📝 NY Penal Law §400.00 Legally Requires Permits to Be Processed in 6 Months

New York’s own law — Penal Law §400.00(4-a) — is crystal clear:

Licensing authorities must complete their investigation and issue or deny a permit within six months of receiving a completed application.

Yet almost no county in New York respects this deadline.

Worse, because the law imposes no real penalties on government agencies for violating the six-month requirement, there is zero incentive for licensing divisions to obey state law — or the Constitution.

This is exactly the type of systemic civil-rights violation the DOJ’s new Section was created to confront.

📌 NYC: 9–18 Month Delays (and the Only Non-Resident Licensing Option)

The NYPD Licensing Division remains one of the slowest and most restrictive licensing authorities in America. Applicants routinely face:

• 9–18 month delays
• Multiple requests for updated documents
• Interviews scheduled many months out
• Inconsistent investigators and shifting standards
• No accountability for delays

Adding insult to injury, NYC is the only licensing authority in New York that allows non-residents to apply.

That means:

Out-of-state applicants must apply through the slowest and most expensive option in the entire state.

📌 Westchester County: Now 12+ Months Regularly

Westchester was once considered one of the fastest counties in NY. Those days are gone. Today, most applicants experience:

• 12–14+ month delays
• Constantly shifting requirements
• Lack of staffing
• Inconsistent communication

These delays, which exceed both state law and Bruen standards, are ripe for federal civil-rights scrutiny.

📌 Eastern Suffolk: Delays Driven by Staffing Shortages

Eastern Suffolk is known for consistent rules and a professional process — but delays have recently skyrocketed due to:

• Serious staffing shortages
• Backlogs reaching 12–16 months
• Administrative slowdowns unrelated to law or procedure
• A new rule requiring firearm instructors to be New York–based

Even though Suffolk maintains order and fairness better than many counties, the delays exceed state law and now threaten Second Amendment rights under Bruen.

📌 Nassau, Monroe, and Other Counties

Other counties show similar patterns:

• 6–12 month delays
• Inconsistent staff guidance
• Unclear requirements
• “Shadow denials” via endless document requests

From Buffalo to Long Island, no major county regularly complies with the six-month legal requirement.

This is exactly the type of systemic civil-rights abuse that the new DOJ Section has authority to investigate.

📍 Washington DC Offers a Stunning Comparison — 5-Day CCW Approvals

After the landmark Wrenn v. DC decision, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC began issuing concealed-carry licenses astonishingly quickly — often within five days.

If Washington, DC can issue carry permits in five days, there is no legitimate reason for New York counties to take:

• 6 months
• 12 months
• 18 months
• or worse

Delays are not administrative necessity — they are policy choices.

And now, with the DOJ treating these delays as civil-rights violations, New York’s “delay culture” could finally face consequences.

🗽 How Federal 2A Enforcement Can Transform New York

Here’s how the new Second Amendment Rights Section could directly help New Yorkers:

• Investigate counties that exceed the six-month legal deadline
• Sue licensing authorities that systematically delay applications
• File amicus briefs supporting lawsuits like Antonyuk and Christian
• Pressure NYPD Licensing to modernize and speed up processing
• Challenge the CCIA’s sensitive place bans
• Scrutinize discriminatory “good moral character” standards

For the first time, New Yorkers may have a powerful ally beyond private litigators and 2A organizations.

The federal government is stepping onto the field.

🧭 Why NY Safe Is Positioned at the Center of This Turning Point

NY Safe Inc. has already become the trusted training provider for thousands of New Yorkers navigating the state’s hostile licensing landscape. As this new DOJ enforcement era dawns, New Yorkers will need:

• expert licensing guidance
• premium training that meets NY, NJ, MD, MA, CT, RI, and multi-state standards
• accurate legal education
• fast, honest permit assistance

Your existing content — like Denied by ZIP Code: The Reality of NY’s Broken Gun Laws, Home Invasion Defense, and California Non-Resident CCW Guide — perfectly position NY Safe as the leading authority during this shift.

📌 FAQ — What Gun Owners Need to Know

🎯 Conclusion: A New Era for Gun Rights Begins — And New York May Be Ground Zero

The DOJ’s creation of the Second Amendment Rights Section is not symbolic — it is a structural, enduring commitment to protecting gun rights as civil rights. For New Yorkers facing unconstitutional delays, arbitrary standards, and hostile agencies, this is the most important federal shift in decades.

The federal government is done watching states violate the Second Amendment.

For the first time, it’s ready to act.

This is a historic moment — and the beginning of a new era where gun owners no longer stand alone against hostile state governments.