Supreme Court Urged to Reevaluate Bruen Decision in Rahimi Gun-Rights Case

The Biden administration is defending a federal law that prohibits individuals under domestic-violence restraining orders from possessing firearms in a major Second Amendment case before the Supreme Court. The case involves Zackey Rahimi, a domestic abuser with a history of gun-related offenses. The court will examine the fallout from its 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which requires historical analogues to defend laws limiting Second Amendment rights. Gun rights advocates concede that the sympathetic issue of protecting domestic abuse victims and an unsympathetic defendant may create a favorable climate for the government. The case raises the question of whether Congress lacks the authority to disarm those under domestic violence protection orders.