U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Gun Ban for Undocumented Migrants

A U.S. appeals court upheld a federal law prohibiting illegal migrants from possessing guns. Jose Paz Medina-Cantu, convicted of handgun possession, argued it violated his Second Amendment rights. The court ruled that the ban remains valid despite recent Supreme Court decisions expanding gun rights, as they do not extend to illegal aliens.

A U.S. appeals court has maintained a federal law prohibiting migrants residing illegally in the country from owning firearms. The decision came after Jose Paz Medina-Cantu challenged his conviction for possessing a handgun, arguing it was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

The three-judge panel from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated that the existing ban remains valid. This ruling stands despite recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions aimed at expanding firearm rights by aligning modern restrictions with the nation's historical and traditional views on gun regulations.

Medina-Cantu, sentenced to 15 months in prison following a guilty plea, cited a 2022 Supreme Court ruling favoring broader gun rights as his defense. However, the panel concluded that these Supreme Court rulings do not invalidate their prior decision that the Second Amendment's text does not protect illegal immigrants.

(With inputs from agencies.)