You may recall that in 2024, we filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Attorney General on behalf of attorney and combat veteran David Nastri of Connecticut, challenging federal law that prohibits the carrying of firearms on United States postal service property. We The Patriots USA is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit, since defending your right to keep and bear arms is squarely within the mission of our organization.
The district court dismissed the lawsuit earlier this year, and we appealed to the Second Circuit, where the case is now pending. On July 13, 2026, we filed our brief explaining why we believe the district court erred in dismissing our case. Just about a month later, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has reversed course, issuing an opinion on August 12, 2026 stating that federal law does not prohibit the lawful carry of firearms in post offices:
“…congressional policy does not bar otherwise law-abiding officials from carrying constitutionally protected firearms into a post office that is open to the public for the purposes of self-defense.”
We have no doubt that our lawsuit, Nastri v. Bondi, was instrumental in moving the DOJ to form this opinion. Indeed, the district court’s decision in our lawsuit was cited three times in the DOJ’s opinion letter.
Although carrying firearms in post offices may seem like a trivial concern, winning back that freedom is actually tremendously important. When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in New York Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen in 2022, it made clear that the government is not permitted to restrict Second Amendment rights unless it can demonstrate that such a restriction is consistent with the historical tradition of firearms regulation in this country. By leaving laws on the books that prohibit the carrying of firearms in various locations – including post offices and other federal buildings – we are conceding that these restrictions are permissible, and are consistent with the history and tradition of firearms regulation in the United States. In so doing, we cede our rights even in instances when the Founders never intended for us to do so. And by leaving these laws on the books unchallenged, we tacitly consent to further restrictions, which in the future the government will be able to say fit within its scheme of firearm regulation that includes restrictions in federal buildings like post offices.
And that’s a real danger, unlike the feigned danger of a law-abiding combat veteran carrying his pistol when he goes into his local post office to pick up his mail. When we consent to small restrictions, we unwittingly consent to larger ones as well.
Victories like this are only made possible through your support. Please help us continue fighting for your right to keep and bear arms by making a gift to our organization today. Gifts made to our nonprofit are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. tax law.