Last week, a federal judge overturned Hawaii’s current law which bars legal immigrants from applying for a firearm permit. This ruling came after an Australian citizen, who is a permanent resident living in Honolulu, filed for relief from state laws restricting him from obtaining a firearm permit.
The judge ruled that the discriminatory state law prohibiting legal immigrants from applying for a firearm permit violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. Allowing lawful permanent residents, in addition to U.S. citizens, to apply for a firearms license will open the door for law-abiding individuals to exercise the guarantees of the Second Amendment in Hawaii.
This is the latest in a string of court rulings across the country overturning similar laws and is good news for individuals legally and permanently residing in the United States.
Your NRA-ILA will continue to keep you updated when more information is available.