Gun Rights Advocates Sue US Virgin Islands Over Concealed Carry Licenses
San Juan, Puerto Rico – The ongoing debate over the Second Amendment has taken a new turn as the Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) have filed a lawsuit against the government of the US Virgin Islands and its police commissioner. The lawsuit seeks to allow non-residents to apply for and be issued licenses to carry concealed handguns in the US territory.
At the heart of the lawsuit is the case of Sean Dale Henry, a Florida resident and member of the GOA who has been trying to obtain a concealed carry license for his upcoming visits to the US Virgin Islands. According to the lawsuit, Henry has been unable to get the USVI police to even pick up the phone, making his need to keep and bear arms for self-defense all the more vital.
“The Second Amendment doesn’t end at the shoreline,” said Luis Valdes, the US Virgin Islands’ outreach director for the GOA. “Americans don’t lose their constitutional rights simply because they travel to a US territory.”
This is the second time the US Virgin Islands government and its police commissioner have been sued over the Second Amendment. In December, the US Justice Department sued the US territory, accusing it of obstructing and systematically denying American citizens the right to possess and carry guns.
The US Virgin Islands government has maintained that it is committed to protecting constitutional rights while maintaining public safety. However, the GOA and GOF argue that the USVI’s laws are overly restrictive and infringe on the Second Amendment rights of non-residents.
The lawsuit filed by the GOA and GOF seeks a federal judge’s ruling to allow non-residents to apply for and be issued licenses to carry concealed handguns in the US Virgin Islands. The case is expected to have significant implications for gun rights advocates and the US Virgin Islands government.
In a related development, the US Virgin Islands government has accused the US government of coming to court “with unclean hands” and of employing hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers who have deprived people of their constitutional rights.
The US Justice Department has maintained that the USVI’s laws are unconstitutional and have sought to enjoin the territory from enforcing them. The case is still making its way through the courts.
As the debate over the Second Amendment continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the rights of Americans to bear arms do not stop at the shoreline.
Key Points in the Lawsuit
- The GOA and GOF are suing the US Virgin Islands government and its police commissioner over the right to carry concealed handguns.
- The lawsuit seeks to allow non-residents to apply for and be issued licenses to carry concealed handguns in the US Virgin Islands.
- The case is the second time the US Virgin Islands government and its police commissioner have been sued over the Second Amendment.
- The US Justice Department has sued the US Virgin Islands, accusing it of obstructing and systematically denying American citizens the right to possess and carry guns.
