Immigrant’s Second Amendment Challenge Rejected by Ninth Circuit

Jan. 2, 2026, 7:57 PM UTC

A law barring undocumented immigrants from possessing guns is valid under the Second Amendment, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found Friday, aligning with other circuits.

In an unsigned decision, a panel upheld the conviction of Oscar Vazquez-Ramirez, who was charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as an “unlawful alien.” Vazquez-Ramirez came to the country as a child, and his lengthy residency in the country entitles him to Second Amendment protection, he argued.

For purposes of the decision, the majority panel assumed without definitively finding that undocumented immigrants qualify as part of “the people” protected by ...

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