(NewsNation) — A town in Michigan has dubbed itself a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” and founded a militia over gun control laws being passed in the state.
Holton Township passed the resolution in response to a Michigan red flag law that would allow courts to remove weapons from those considered to be an extreme risk. According to town leaders, the move is in response to what they believe is an infringement on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
The militia will be made up of those over 18 who can legally purchase firearms and volunteer. Nobody in the town will be required to join. Members must supply their own firearms, which must be legal by federal standards as of March 27, 2021.
Township supervisor Alan Jager told NewsNation the town created the militia to prevent courts from enforcing the law.
“Being a militia, we have a right to have the ammunition, the guns needed to protect our town, protect our families,” he said. “So if they go to court, take your guns away, you can go in and say I’m in a militia, I need to have these to do the protection that I need to do and give them a fighting chance to get their guns back to due process.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the law in May, allowing individuals to file a petition with a court if they believed someone was at significant risk of harming themselves or others. Those allowed to file a petition include law enforcement officers, family members or household members, current or former partners and health care providers. Evidence would be required for courts to grant the extreme risk order.
If the protection order were granted, the individual would not be allowed to purchase firearms or possess previously purchased weapons. Some law enforcement officers in the state expressed reservations about the law, fearing for the safety of officers who could be dispatched to confiscate weapons.
While the Supreme Court has traditionally ruled in support of many gun control measures, the 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen changed how courts are meant to interpret gun laws in light of the Second Amendment.
The decision has been the grounds for challenges to gun laws, including The United States v. Rahimi, a case currently before the Court that specifically addresses laws banning those who are the subject of domestic violence restraining orders from possessing a gun. In oral arguments, the justices appeared likely to uphold the law.
Polling data has shown a majority of Americans support stricter gun laws, with Pew Research finding 61% of Americans think it is too easy to get a gun in the U.S. legally and 58% supporting stricter gun laws.