Biden Launches Unauthorized ‘Red Flag’ Gun Control Center

At the direction of Joe Biden, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Saturday the establishment of the “National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center.” This new center aims to guide state and local officials in applying red flag laws that would enable them to prevent certain individuals deemed a threat from possessing firearms.

The Resource Center, funded partly by the controversial 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, intends to offer comprehensive support to stakeholders in implementing Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

The announcement came swiftly after the passage of the latest massive “omnibus” federal spending bill. Leading the conservative charge against the blatantly unconstitutional center, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to question the legitimacy of the center’s creation and accuse it of being unveiled surreptitiously post-legislation. Freedom-minded Americans like Massie see this as an underhanded move, especially as no explicit congressional authorization exists for such a significant initiative.

Other lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), have condemned the initiative, labeling it a covert operation by the DOJ to infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment rights. They suggest that this move could pave the way for unprecedented surveillance and confiscation actions against lawful gun owners, using the facade of public safety to infringe upon constitutional rights.

Greene wrote in a Saturday tweet: “Merrick Garland just announced a massive Red Flag Operation that the DOJ will be running by using EVERY spy tool the US government has in order to violate Americans’ Second Amendment.”

The center’s stated goal is to mitigate firearm-related homicides and suicides by facilitating the removal of guns from individuals identified as potential threats. However, the implications of such policies are deeply divisive. Critics argue that red flag laws, by their nature, strip citizens of their due process rights, allowing for gun seizure based on third-party allegations without standard legal proceedings.

Moreover, the backlash is not just from individuals but also from groups such as the Firearms Policy Coalition and the National Rifle Association. These organizations assert that the foundational elements of the Resource Center, supported by federal funds, represent an overreach by the federal government into areas traditionally managed by states. They fear that this is just the beginning of a slippery slope toward more draconian gun control measures.

Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent appearance in Florida promoting the initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to pushing these laws nationwide. Yet, the administration’s stance has further polarized the issue, with opponents viewing it as a direct attack on fundamental American liberties rather than a genuine effort to enhance public safety.

The establishment of the DOJ’s new center is a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over gun control and individual rights in America. The controversy stems from the substance of red flag laws themselves and how this federal initiative was launched.