US to Restore Gun Rights for Some Felons in Another Deregulation Move Under Trump

The Donald Trump administration is set to implement a regulation that restores gun ownership rights to certain violent felons, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 17th (local time).

According to a regulation announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on that day, felons convicted of crimes carrying prison sentences of one year or more will now be eligible to apply for the restoration of their gun rights.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, stating, "The federal government should not permanently strip Americans of their constitutional rights regardless of whether they pose a threat to public safety," explaining the background behind the restoration of gun rights.

He added that the new regulation will "protect public safety while opening a practical path for qualified Americans to restore their rights."

Blanche, a former personal lawyer to President Trump, noted that this measure marks an additional easing of gun regulations under the second Trump administration.

Current U.S. federal law prohibits individuals sentenced to more than a year in prison from possessing firearms.

Fugitives, undocumented immigrants, individuals with dishonorable discharges from the military, and those convicted of domestic violence are also stripped of their gun ownership rights.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that approximately 30 million Americans have been stripped of their firearm rights due to felony convictions and other reasons.

The Justice Department expects to begin accepting applications for the restoration of gun rights in about a month.

It is estimated that roughly 330,000 people will apply for gun rights restoration in the first year of the new regulation's implementation.

Despite the new regulation, undocumented immigrants, registered sex offenders, and individuals with violent criminal records will remain ineligible to apply for gun rights restoration.

Previously, individuals with criminal records had to receive a pardon to recover their firearm rights.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.