For United States territories, things are a little different. They’re not states, after all, so their representation in Congress doesn’t have any voting power. They can’t really do all that much beyond expressing the interests of the people there.
But the US Constitution applies in full there. Territories can’t just decide to do whatever they want. The laws they enact must adhere to the Constitution. They can’t, for example, ban Catholicism. Freedom of religion is still a thing there.
However, it seems some of the so-called leaders there don’t actually understand that.
There’s a bill under consideration that would take a massive bite out of the Second Amendment rights of folks who live there.
🚨GUN CONFISCATION ALERT🚨
Bill 36-0144 pushes gun confiscation in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
*Checks Notes*
Yup, the Second Amendment protects ALL Americans’ gun rights—including those in the USVI.@GunOwners will not stand on the sidelines.
NO COMPROMISE nationwide! pic.twitter.com/RHJD0Uqdwk
— Luis Valdes (@RealFLGunLobby) September 2, 2025
As noted in the photo, this bill will ban so-called assault weapons, suppressors, and so-called large capacity magazines, as well as mandate “safety training” before anyone can buy any other long gun, among other potential infringements.
I can’t find any text for the bill, myself–their website is kind of a mess–so it’s hard to say just how bad this will be, but the truth is just what’s outlined in that little bit is more than bad enough.
Let’s understand that, as a US territory, the US Virgin Islands is also required to follow Supreme Court rulings. That means Bruen applies to anything the territorial government wants to do. No history, text, or tradition test can be passed by literally any of these proposals. It’s just not possible. There’s no analog at all that applies here.
I get that the US Virgin Islands has a high homicide rate, but let’s also understand that it’s three islands in the middle of the ocean. It’s not easily accessible without going through some kind of controlled point of entry for most people, and they still have a violent crime issue despite current laws supposedly preventing criminals from getting guns.
They think banning so-called assault weapons will change that?
Especially since criminals aren’t exactly known for using long guns on a day-to-day basis.
No, this is about impacting the law-abiding citizens who live there. This is about disarming them. It’s about making it harder for them to have the kind of firearms they might need to defend their homes. That’s what this is. That’s what this would accomplish and absolutely nothing else.
Unfortunately for them, the Second Amendment still applies. Citizens have the right to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment applies whether the lawmakers there like it or not.
And gun rights organizations like Gun Owners of America, of which Valdes above is a part, won’t just roll over because it’s not a state.
That’s not how it works.
So they can try to pass this measure if they so desire. They’re going to face fiercer resistance than they might like to believe, and then even more of it should it pass.
Gun rights advocates are long done trying to play nice.
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