Gun Owners Sue U.S. Virgin Islands Over Concealed Carry Rights
Gun Owners of America and Gun Owners Foundation have taken legal action against the U.S. Virgin Islands government and its police commissioner. The lawsuit seeks to allow nonresidents to apply for and receive concealed handgun licenses in the territory. This move represents an escalation in the battle over Second Amendment rights.
The lawsuit focuses on Sean Dale Henry, a Florida resident and member of Gun Owners of America. Henry has attempted multiple times to contact the U.S. Virgin Islands’ police department to apply for a license, without success. “Henry has been unable to get the USVI police to so much as pick up the telephone,” the lawsuit claims, emphasizing the importance of Henry’s right to self-defense.
Henry plans to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands twice in the coming months, intending to carry a concealed weapon for protection. “The Second Amendment doesn’t end at the shoreline,” stated Luis Valdes, outreach director for Gun Owners of America in the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Americans don’t lose their constitutional rights simply because they travel to a U.S. territory.” A spokesperson for the territory’s government has not commented.
This is the second instance of the U.S. Virgin Islands facing litigation over Second Amendment issues. In December, the U.S. Justice Department accused the territory of blocking Americans’ right to carry firearms. The case highlighted local legal requirements, such as applicants having to demonstrate a “good reason to fear death or great injury” and needing endorsements from two credible persons.
The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands stated its commitment to balancing constitutional rights with public safety. However, in a February court response, the territory accused the U.S. government of hypocrisy, alleging violations of multiple constitutional amendments by U.S. law enforcement.
According to the filing, “The United States of America cannot come to the court with unclean hands and seek to enjoin others while engaging in such blatant, violative, and abusive patterns and practices itself.” The case remains ongoing in the court system.