In a bid to help enforce “red flag” gun laws across America, the Biden administration has announced the creation of a National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center. This centralized hub will provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other government leaders in implementing these controversial laws, which aim to take guns away from individuals who are deemed a threat to themselves or others.
These red flag laws allow family members, medical professionals, and law enforcement to petition an emergency court, claiming that a person is mentally unwell and poses a risk to themselves or others. If the court agrees, the individual can be “flagged” and prevented from buying firearms, and their guns can be seized by the police.
The Biden administration will spend $750 million to push a controversial gun law. These are red flag laws which restrict the possession of firearms as well as allow for guns to be confiscated from gun owners.https://t.co/ukDoT432Xo
— Crossroads with Joshua Philipp (@crossroads_josh) March 25, 2024
Proponents of these laws argue that they are necessary to prevent high-risk individuals from owning guns, but opponents see them as an infringement on Second Amendment rights. In fact, the announcement of the ERPO has drawn criticism from conservative politicians and activists alike.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has defended the ERPO, stating that it will help keep firearms out of the hands of those who pose a threat. However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) opposes the initiative, calling it a “massive Red Flag Operation” that will allow the Department of Justice (DOJ) to use “every spy tool the U.S. government has” to violate Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
Currently, nearly half of the country, including 21 states and the District of Columbia, have red flag laws in place. Violating these laws could result in criminal charges. The Biden administration has invested $750 million in taxpayer money to help implement these laws and plans to pass them in additional states.
In collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions (CGVS), the new ERPO will work to address gun violence as an “epidemic-level public health emergency” that disproportionately impacts communities of color. To achieve this, the ERPO will require “direct access to critical information” that will enhance their ability to reduce firearm homicides and suicides.
However, critics argue that this will lead to increased surveillance and infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and conservative political activist Laura Loomer have both spoken out against the initiative, expressing concern over its potential to target Trump supporters and allow illegal immigrants to possess firearms.
As the debate over red flag laws and the ERPO continues, it remains to be seen how the Biden administration’s efforts to enforce these laws will impact the Second Amendment rights of Americans.
