The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the city of Denver over its ban on "assault rifles," arguing the ban violates residents' Second Amendment rights. 

The ban covers AR-15-style rifles, which the complaint argues are owned by "tens of millions" of Americans, 

The complaint also describes the use of the term "assault rifle" in the Denver law's language as a "rhetorically politically charged" term used by "anti-gun publicists." 

In addition, the suit cites the 2008 Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which held that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to possess weapons that are in common use for lawful purposes.

“The Constitution is not a suggestion and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right. Denver's ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles directly violates the right to bear arms. This Department of Justice will vigorously defend the liberties of law-abiding citizens nationwide," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.