Background
The court below, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, concluded that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8) violates the 2nd Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional. Section 922(g)(8) contains critical protections for our Native women and children, as it prohibits individuals subject to a protective/restraining order for domestic violence and stalking from possessing firearms (the prohibition applies to orders issued in state and tribal courts). As we know, domestic violence and intimate partner violence create significant danger for the lives of victims. When you add a firearm to the mix, the chances that the victim will be killed increase dramatically. Thus, section 922(g)(8) serves as an important barrier between all victims and homicide. Because Native women face the highest rates of DV and IPV, the loss of section 922(g)(8)'s protections would inevitably result in significant loss of life in tribal communities and across Indian Country.
The NIWRC is filing an amicus brief encouraging the United States Supreme Court to overturn the Fifth Circuit's decision declaring section 922(g)(8) to be unconstitutional, and we invite your organization to join us.
The brief will be authored by Mary Kathryn Nagle, Sarah Deer, and Shoney Blake. To sign your organization onto the brief, sign no later than August 11.
Register here
If you have questions, you may email Mary Kathryn at mkn@mknaglelaw.onmicrosoft.com.
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