Montgomery County’s new 100-yard gun ban around synagogues is facing a federal court fight from a local synagogue and a warning from the U.S. Department of Justice that the rule violates the Second Amendment.
Story Highlights
- A Silver Spring synagogue and its rabbi sued to overturn the county’s 100-yard gun ban at houses of worship.
- The U.S. Department of Justice also sued, saying the law unlawfully disarms lawful citizens in daily life.
- County leaders say the restriction is a longstanding public-safety rule that still applies after recent tweaks.
- A judge ordered the county to respond quickly to a request to pause enforcement near synagogues.
Synagogue Lawsuit Says County Ban Blocks Self-Defense During Worship
The Silver Spring Jewish Center and Rabbi J. Menashe Shapiro filed a federal lawsuit on July 30, 2026. Their complaint says Montgomery County’s Bill 23-26 bars trained congregants and volunteers from carrying for security at or near their synagogue. The filing argues the county’s rule violates the First, Second, and Fourteenth Amendments. It states the law stops parishioners from defending themselves during prayer at a time of rising antisemitic threats, and asks the court to halt enforcement near houses of worship.
The Justice Department also took the county to court days later. Federal lawyers said the county’s “places of public assembly” restrictions sweep too broadly into normal life. They argued the law strips law-abiding people of the right to bear arms where they live, travel, and gather, including in and around synagogues. The department’s complaint asks the court to block the county from enforcing the restriction while the case proceeds, citing clear constitutional concerns after recent Supreme Court guidance.
What the County’s Law Says and Why It Matters for Worshipers
Montgomery County’s code bans possessing or transporting a firearm in or within 100 yards of a place of public assembly. That defined list includes places of worship, parks, schools, libraries, and government facilities. The county updated the rule in 2026 but says the basic 100-yard restriction has long existed. Supporters say it helps police address illegal guns and protect crowded venues. Critics say the buffer swallows neighborhoods and disarms trained, licensed citizens during urgent threats.
County officials insist the change focused on removing permit-based exemptions and tightening definitions, not singling out synagogues or churches. An official release said the law gives public safety partners the tools to curb illegal and unauthorized firearms and reduce violence risk across many public gathering spots. The county maintains the rule is a neutral safety measure that applies to many locations, not a special burden on religious exercise or a targeted ban on synagogue security teams.
Early Court Moves and Rising Stakes After Recent Rulings
A federal judge directed Montgomery County to respond by August 24 to the synagogue’s request to pause enforcement near houses of worship. That move speeds the first decision point and signals that the court views the timing as important. The request seeks relief while the case is litigated, arguing the ban endangers congregants and chills religious exercise by forcing them to worship without the security plan they trained to carry out.
Courts nationwide have split on gun bans at worship sites after recent Supreme Court guidance. Some judges blocked bans that treated churches as sensitive places like government buildings. Others allowed restrictions to stand while cases move forward. That mixed record adds urgency here. If the court finds the county’s buffer too broad or hostile to religious exercise, it could narrow or stop enforcement around synagogues, and possibly other listed venues, while the case continues.
Why This Fight Resonates With Families Focused on Safety and Freedom
Jewish congregations in the Washington area have increased training and layered security since recent attacks on religious sites nationwide. Many believe an armed, vetted volunteer team can buy crucial minutes before police arrive. The synagogue’s case states the county’s 100-yard rule undercuts that plan by criminalizing licensed carry near their building, parking, and sidewalks. For many families, that feels like government overreach that punishes the law-abiding while doing little to stop criminals.
President Trump’s administration, through the Justice Department, has stepped in to push back on the county’s approach. The federal suit argues the Constitution does not allow local leaders to erase the right to carry across wide swaths of public life in the name of safety. The outcome here could set a marker for other counties trying to label more and more spaces “sensitive,” and for faith communities seeking to protect their people without asking government for permission first.
What Comes Next
The court will first decide whether to pause enforcement near synagogues while the case proceeds. That decision will shape services and security planning in the coming weeks. Further briefing will test how far counties can go in drawing “no-carry” circles around houses of worship and other daily spaces. However the court rules, expect appeals. The stakes are high for religious freedom, self-defense rights, and local control over public-safety rules in the post-Bruen legal landscape.
Sources:
reason.com, wtop.com, washingtonjewishweek.com, foxbaltimore.com, wjla.com, montgomerycountymd.gov
