Trump Admin Takes Aim At Decades Old Roadblock To Restoring Gun Rights

Attorney General Todd Blanche finalized a Justice Department rule on Monday creating a new federal process allowing certain people barred from possessing firearms to apply for restoration of their Second Amendment rights. The process, run through the U.S. Pardon Attorney's office, requires applicants to demonstrate that the circumstances of their prohibition, along with their record, reputation and subsequent conduct, show they are unlikely to pose a danger to public safety. Violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens and others deemed an ongoing danger remain presumptively ineligible absent extraordinary circumstances, and any relief granted does not override state law restrictions. The rule revives a review mechanism that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had been barred from funding since 1992, and drew mixed reaction: the NRA called it an important step forward despite some shortcomings, while gun-control group Brady said it was reviewing the rule and raised concerns about the administration's prior firearms restoration decisions.