Hey everybody, Jared here with Guns and Gadgets, your source for Second Amendment news that actually matters. If you own guns, want to own guns, or care about keeping the government out of your rights, then this is the place for you. Hit the subscribe button down below. Welcome to the crew. Today we’re talking about a huge update in the Gun Owners of America lawsuit against the Department of Justice and ATF. Spoiler alert, the ATF just did a complete 180 on their stance about Michigan concealed pistol licenses. But, there’s always a but, I got the details for you.

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Sheath will also give you free shipping on orders over $100. Once you go Sheath, you’ll probably never go back. Grab yours now. All right, here’s the background here if you haven’t been following this one closely. Back in 2020, ATF issued a public safety advisory that threw Michigan concealed pistol license holders under the bus. They basically told gun dealers that those CPLs could no longer be accepted in lieu of a Knicks background check. Why? The ATF claimed Michigan wasn’t doing enough due diligence in their background check process when issuing CPLs. Now specifically, they said that the state wasn’t following up on Knicks hits that showed someone might be prohibited even if there was no final confirmation.

So the ATF decided that Michigan CPLs didn’t meet the federal exemption criteria under 18 USC 922 Tango 3. Now that meant if you had a Michigan CPL, you still had to go through a Knicks check when buying a firearm from a dealer. GOA said not so fast and took them to court. The lawsuit was pretty straightforward. GOA and Michigan resident Donald Roberts argued that the ATF had no business making that determination without following proper procedures under the Administrative Procedures Act. They said that ATF’s advisory was arbitrary, capricious, and flat-out wrong.

The district court initially ruled against gun owners of America, claiming they lacked standing. GOA appealed and the Fifth Circuit kicked the case back down for more fact-finding. And then the district court again tossed it out, still claiming GOA had no standing. But here’s where things get wild. While this whole legal battle was dragging on, the 2024 election happened and in 2025 President Trump signed an executive order titled Protecting Second Amendment Rights. That order told the DOJ and ATF to reassess all of their firearm-related policies and regulations to root out any infringements on our rights.

And wouldn’t you know it, ATF, under new leadership, suddenly had a change of heart. On May 23rd of 2025, ATF issued a new open letter to all federal firearms licensees. In it, they released an updated Brady Permit chart showing which state permits they now accept as valid substitutions for a next check. Hey Tennessee, get your ass in gear. And guess what made the list again? That’s right. Michigan’s concealed pistol licenses. ATF explicitly said the new guidance supersedes all previous ATF open letters, including the 2020 advisory that was at the heart of this lawsuit.

Now, they now believe that Michigan’s process does meet the federal requirement under 922 Tango 3. Translation, if you’re in Michigan and you have a valid CPL issued within the last five years, you can now use that instead of going through a next check when buying a firearm from an FFL. So now the DOJ is telling the sixth circuit, hey this case is moot. They argue that since the policy GOA was challenging no longer exists, there’s nothing left to fight over. And because ATF agrees with GOA that the 2020 advisory was wrong, there’s no legal controversy left to decide.

They also claim that no exceptions to mootness apply because ATF didn’t reverse the rule due to the lawsuit, but rather as part of a nationwide review. Plus, they say it’s unlikely ATF will flip-flop again. Right. And even if they did, that would be a new legal challenge entirely. You know, of course, it takes five minutes to issue a new letter reversing things. And if you don’t think like a Gavin Newsom of 2028 wouldn’t do that, you’re smoking drugs. And why doesn’t ATF want the court to just issue a final judgment saying GOA is right and forever enjoining future administrations from infringing on our rights? That’s the risk of them backing out before these lawsuits seek their final judgment.

Now, they’re asking the court to dismiss the appeal entirely, but they do say they’d support vacating the lower court’s judgment, meaning GOA’s loss at the district court level would be wiped out. Now, from a gun rights perspective, this might not be the total victory GOA wanted in court, of course, but some still will see this as a major win. The fact that ATF backed off and restored Michigan’s CPLs as valid NICS alternatives is proof that GOA’s pressure campaign worked. Whether it was the legal challenge, the new administration, or both, it forced ATF to backpedal and respect the rights of Michigan gun owners.

But don’t get comfortable, just because the ATF reversed course doesn’t mean they won’t flip-flop again under the next administration. This is exactly why we need strong Second Amendment watchdogs like gun owners of America, and why all of us need to stay alert and engaged. So join GOA, links down below, it’s in every single video that I put out. Now, let me know what you think about this in the comments. Was this a win for the Second Amendment or just a bureaucratic side step to avoid a loss in court? Hit the like button, share the video with your fellow patriots, and don’t forget to subscribe so that you won’t miss the next big update in the Second Amendment world.

Until next time, stay safe, stay informed, and most of all, stay free. Take care, patriots. [tr:trw].

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