Federal Second Amendment Sanctuary Act
Restoring Constitutional Boundaries. Protecting Local Law Enforcement. Defending Lawful Gun Ownership.
What This Act Does:
The Federal Second Amendment Sanctuary Act ensures that federal and state governments cannot coerce, penalize, or retaliate against local law enforcement agencies or jurisdictions for refusing to enforce gun control measures that violate the U.S. Constitution or that were never passed by Congress.
It establishes protections for:
Local sheriffs and police who refuse to enforce unconstitutional gun laws.
Jurisdictions that declare themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries.
Citizens facing unjust enforcement of executive or agency-imposed firearm regulations.
Why This Is Possible: The Legal & Constitutional Foundation
1. Tenth Amendment – State and Local Autonomy
The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution states that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states and the people. The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld that the federal government cannot commandeer state or local officials to enforce federal laws. This principle was affirmed in:
Printz v. United States (1997) – The Court ruled that the federal government cannot force local law enforcement to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program.
The same principle protects local officials from being compelled to enforce unconstitutional or unilateral gun control actions from either Washington or Springfield.
2. Second Amendment – The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
The Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, a right repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court, most notably in:
District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) – Recognized an individual’s right to own firearms for lawful purposes.
McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) – Incorporated that right to apply to state and local governments.
Any attempt by a state or the federal government to force enforcement of gun control measures that violate this precedent is subject to legal challenge.
3. Anti-Retaliation Principles
The federal government has no constitutional authority to withhold unrelated grants or punish jurisdictions for choosing to uphold constitutional protections. This Act ensures that Second Amendment Sanctuary communities cannot be penalized for defending the rights of their residents.
Why It’s Needed in Illinois and CD1:
Growing Overreach: In Illinois, unelected bureaucrats and activist lawmakers have passed gun control legislation that burdens law-abiding citizens while doing little to stop violent crime.
Pressure on Police: Officers across Chicago, Kankakee, and Will County are increasingly caught between state-level mandates and the Constitution they swore to uphold.
Erosion of Trust: Communities are losing trust in law enforcement not because of police misconduct, but because their rights are being used as pawns in political fights.
Moral Clarity: Officers and citizens should never be forced to choose between their job and the Constitution.
What This Act Achieves:
Urban and Suburban Realities: Law-abiding gun owners in communities like Englewood, Pullman, Kankakee, and beyond should not live in fear of being punished by confusing or contradictory laws.
Affirms that only laws passed by Congress—not executive orders or agency memos—can impose enforcement obligations.
Shields local law enforcement and elected sheriffs from retaliation by their state or federal superiors for refusing unconstitutional directives.
Officer Morale and Integrity: Police officers should not be political pawns. This Act ensures they are protected from retaliation when they choose to stand by the Constitution.
Federalism and Local Control: It strengthens the ability of local jurisdictions to assert their values without top-down interference from hostile state governments or federal overreach.
Encourages Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions by ensuring no financial punishment from Washington for standing with the Constitution.
Allows citizens and officers alike to file civil complaints when unjust enforcement occurs.
Standing on Principle – Not Partisanship:
This Act is not about partisanship—it’s about upholding the oath that every elected official and law enforcement officer takes: to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. When state or federal entities try to override that Constitution, this Act ensures that the people—not political pressure—have the final say.
The Bottom Line:
The Federal Second Amendment Sanctuary Act restores balance to a growing crisis of political overreach. It recognizes that:
The Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
Our communities thrive when peace officers are allowed to serve without compromising their conscience or rights.
Law-abiding citizens deserve clarity, protection, and representation that honors their freedom.
