Biden admin asks court to uphold DC ban on carrying firearms on the metro

The Biden administration has asked a federal court to uphold Washington, D.C.'s ban on carrying firearms aboard its metro facilities.

District and Virginia residents had sued D.C. allow them to carry firearms while using public transportation, arguing "[t]here is not a tradition or history of prohibitions of carrying firearms on public transportation vehicles."

"Public transportation systems did not exist as they do today at the founding of the nation... However, there was plainly a tradition of firearms carry when citizens traveled from their homes," it continued. "In modern parlance, Americans carried arms to prevent their gatherings from becoming soft targets."

The Biden administration, however, disagrees and has filed a statement of interest with the court, asking it to uphold the ban, according to The Hill. It asserted that the Department of Transportation has an interest in ensuing that state and local governments can impose "reasonable" restrictions on firearm possession in public transportation. It further asserted federal interest due to the metro's frequent use by government employees.

The administration further argued that the metro was a "sensitive" location given the abundance of "vulnerable" individuals using it, per the outlet.

The suit follows a legal battle in New York that saw the Supreme Court strike down a requirement that concealed carry permit applicants demonstrate a need to carry a firearm. The legislature, in turn, banned permit holders from bringing firearms to a host of "sensitive" locations, which has since face additional legal scrutiny.