PHILADELPHIA, PA - The federal government has opened an investigation into the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) over its policy for revoking gun permits.
On Tuesday, June 9, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker saying the recently formed Second Amendment section of its Civil Rights Division is investigating whether the police department has violated some residents' gun rights through an overly vague standard for revoking permits to carry firearms, according to KYW.
PPD policy says a license to carry can be revoked for individuals charged with a crime punishable by more than a year or if their character and reputation make it likely they'd endanger public safety.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said the probe is aimed at protecting gun owners from local overreach. "Law-abiding Americans, regardless of where they live, should not have to worry that their city will revoke their means of self-defense."
In a press release, the DOJ stated that it is a "violation of the Second Amendment for government officials to use vague, personal discretion when determining whether to issue or revoke permits to carry firearms."
The Civil Rights Division's focus on the Second Amendment is new. It's welcomed by gun rights groups, but Shira Feldman, senior director of constitutional litigation at Brady United Against Gun Violence, believes it's not the best use of resources.
"Given the historical purpose of both the civil rights division and the statute, the civil rights division could be better spending its finite resources investigating actual police brutality or systemic racism,” Feldman said.
PPD is one of six police departments the Second Amendment section has targeted in the six months since it was created. It's also not the first time the Trump administration has targeted Philadelphia. The DOJ sent a letter to Mayor Parker in August 2025, threatening lawsuits and funding cuts if the city didn't change its "sanctuary" policies. However, no further action was taken.
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