Columbus, Ohio After a federal judge decided that undocumented immigrants are not entitled to Second Amendment protections, a man who was illegally in the country was rejected his legal fight to maintain a collection of 170 firearms, including several AR-style rifles and a.50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle.
Earlier this year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Carlos Serrano-Restrepo, who has been in the country illegally since 2008 but pays taxes and has a work authorization card. He was charged by federal prosecutors with illegally having weapons as an unauthorized immigrant.
Serrano-Restrepo claimed in court documents that he had the right to possess firearms for self-defense and that his contributions as an Ohio taxpayer gave him Second Amendment rights. But in a Nov. 21 decision, U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus dismissed the claim, holding that only people who have formally sworn allegiance to the United States are permitted to purchase firearms.
In his ruling, which was released to the public on Saturday by CBS affiliate WSYX, Sargus stated that disarming illegal aliens like Mr. Serrano-Restrepo is consistent with the history and tradition of firearm laws in the country.
According to court records, Serrano-Restrepo obtained a work authorization card and Social Security number after entering the country illegally in March 2008. He claimed that because of his successful business and years of tax payments, he was a member of the national political community and should be protected by the constitution.
Authorities pointed out that Serrano-Restrepo didn’t apply for asylum until 2022, long after he had entered the country. Federal prosecutors contended that his immigration status made it illegal for him to own firearms, regardless of his residency or contributions.
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