The U.S. Department of Justice has requested a court order to stop the enforcement of a magazine capacity ban in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This legal action targets a specific territorial law that restricts the use of magazines holding more than 15 rounds.
The 15-round limit of Act 9113
The legal conflict centers on Act 9113, a piece of legislation signed into law by U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. on June 24, 2026. According to the report, this law prohibits the possession, purchase, sale, import, receipt, or transfer of any firearm magazine capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition.
The U.S. Department of Justice argues that the provisions within Act 9113 are "glaringly unconstitutional." By targeting the very act of possessing or transferring these magazines, the territorial government has created a legal framework that the federal government now claims violates fundamental rights.
The Third Circuit's ANJRPC ruling as a legal catalyst
The U.S. Department of Justice is basing its motion for a preliminnary injunction on a recent decision from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. As the report says, the court's ruling in the case known as ANJRPC determined that bans on both large-capacity magazies and semi-automatic rifles are unconstitutional.
This move reflects a broader trend in federal jurisprudence where circuit courts are increasingly scrutinizing the "common use" test for firearm accessories. By citing the ANJRPC ruling, the U.S. department of Justice is attempting to ensure that the legal standards applied in New Jersey are mirrored in the U.S. Virgin Islands, preventing a patchwork of conflicting constitutional interpretations within the same judicial circuit.
Halting the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department's enforcement
The primary objective of the motion filed on Wednesday is to immediately enjoin the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department from enforcing Act 9113. The U.S.. Department of Justice contends that ongoing enforcement by local police is causing "unconstitutional impacts" that must be stopped before a full trial on the merits can occur.
A preliminary injunction is a powerful tool that would effectively freeze the law in place, meaning the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department could no longer arrest or penalize citizens for possessing magazines that exceed the 15-round limit.. This urgency underscores the federal government's view that the law's current application is an active violation of civil liberties.
The missing response from Governor Albert Bryan Jr.
While the U.S. department of Justice has made its position clear, the source of the reporting does not include a response from Governor Albert Bryan Jr. or the U.S. Virgin Islands government. It remains unknown whether the territorial administration will fight the injunction or if they intend to amend Act 9113 to bring it into alignment with the Third Circuit's findings.
Furthermore, the report does not specify if any local residents or advocacy groups have joined the U.S. Department of Justice in this challenge, or if the federal government is acting as the sole catalyst for this legal reversal. The outcome will likely depend on whether the court views the territorial needs for crime prevention as outweighing the precedents set in the ANJRPC case.
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