Federal Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Semiautomatic Weapons Ban

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld Illinois' ban on semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reverses a lower court ruling that had found the law unconstitutional.

The majority opinion stated that the restrictions are consistent with the nation's tradition of firearm regulation. It also rejected arguments that semiautomatic weapons are not responsible for mass shootings, citing evidence that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines correlate with greater harm.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act was signed into law in 2023. It bans AR-15 rifles and similar guns, large-capacity magazines, and certain attachments. The measure followed a 2022 shooting at a July 4 parade in a Chicago suburb that killed seven people and injured more than three dozen.

County sheriffs had refused to enforce the law, and gun owners filed lawsuits. In 2024, a federal judge overturned the ban, citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on the Second Amendment. Illinois officials filed an appeal the same day, resulting in a stay of the injunction.

Reactions and Next Steps Democratic Gov.

JB Pritzker said on X that the decision is a victory in the fight to end gun violence. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the ruling enhances public safety and that assault weapons have no place in communities. The National Shooting Sports Foundation said it is disappointed and plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

The group agreed with the dissent, which argued that commonly owned firearms for self-defense are protected by the Second Amendment. " — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, June 2026 (AP) The Supreme Court announced last month that it will consider whether semiautomatic rifle bans violate the Second Amendment.