Justice Department Probes Philadelphia After It Revokes Gun Permits From Members of Anti-ICE, Black Panther Inspired Group

The Justice Department is investigating Philadelphia after it revoked firearm permits from five members of Black Panther-inspired group that opposes ICE, the Black Lion Party for International Solidarity.In a statement this week, the Justice Department said it is investigating to determine whether the Philadelphia Police Department unconstitutionally uses a “vague ‘good cause’ standard to cancel permits to carry firearms.”The investigation comes as members of the Black Lion Party have complained that Philadelphia officials used vague and subjective standards to revoke firearm permits after a confrontation with police officers. In January, members of the community patrol organization, armed with an AR-15-style firearm, had an altercation with a police officer, whom they accused of creating a traffic hazard. The founder of the group, Paul Birdsong, told the officer, “Stop obstructing traffic! You can park anywhere else. You don’t need to block a whole street.”He described the incident to CBS News Philadelphia, saying, “[The police officer] reaches for his gun. I’m like, ‘don’t do that,’ right? He’s like, ‘What? We could do it right now.’ Unbuckles his gun and puts his hand on it. I’m like, ‘Officer, don’t do that. It’s not going to turn out the way you think it is,’ right? He was like, ‘Cool, let’s go for it. I have no life. I have no wife. I have children, no friends, no family. Nobody loves me. I don’t have nothing to live for. Let’s go. Let’s do it.’”A video from the exchange “seems to support some” of the alleged conversation, the outlet reported. The argument ended without violence, but a week later the city revoked Mr. Birdsong’s firearm permit, and the permits of four other members of the group, due to questions about their “character and reputation.” The city also said that the group “created an unreasonable danger to public safety.”The group is styled after Philadelphia’s Black Panther Party, which was founded in 1968 and carried out armed community patrols and was disbanded in 1982. Mr. Birdsong says he began rebuilding the organization in 2024, but changed its name to the Black Lion Party after he received pressure from members of the original Black Panther Party. He told an outlet focused on gun violence, the Trace, carries out so-called safety patrols to protect black Philadelphians from gun violence, sex traffickers, drug dealers.More recently, Mr. Birdsong has included ICE agents among the individuals he aims to protect neighbors from. After a federal immigration officer shot Renee Good at Minneapolis in January, the Black Lions began attending anti-ICE protests with the stated mission of protecting black residents. In one tense encounter, Mr. Birdsong was seen on camera telling police officers he has the right to be armed. The officers eventually got in their cars and drove off without incident. Pennsylvania law lets people openly carry rifles and shotguns in the city, with a license. However, local officials have the discretion to refuse or revoke firearm permits due to an individuals “character and reputation.” Critics say that that standard is subjective and vague.The assistant attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet Dhillon, said, “Law-abiding Americans, regardless of where they live, should not have to worry that their city will revoke their means of self-defense.” The Justice Department said it is unconstitutional for officials to use “vague, personal discretion when determining whether to issue or revoke permits to carry firearms.” It noted the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller decision, which said that the Second Amendment protects the right of citizens to possess firearms for lawful purposes such as self defense. The Justice Department also pointed to the high court’s New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen decision, which found that New York’s requirement that applicants show a “proper cause” to obtain a concealed carry permit was unconstitutional. Philadelphia’s police commissioner, Kevin Bethel, defended the decision to revoke the firearm permits, telling CBS News Philadelphia that when “individuals openly carry long guns or firearms through neighborhoods or public spaces, it understandably creates concern among residents and presents real challenges for responding officers who must quickly assess intent, legality, and potential threats in real time.”“What becomes particularly concerning is when individuals appear to go out of their way to engage or confront police officers while openly carrying these weapons, potentially seeking to provoke a reaction or escalate tensions,” he said. “Our responsibility is to balance constitutional rights with public safety, while ensuring that our officers and community members remain safe during any encounter involving firearms.”Mr. Birdsong’s group is challenging the decision to revoke the permits. The city has restored some of the members’ licenses.

Justice Department Probes Philadelphia After It Revokes Gun Permits From Members of Anti-ICE, Black Panther Inspired Group

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