Content warning: This article contains mentions of death and gun violence.

Monday was the deadline for Illinois residents to register semi-automatic weapons, high-capacity magazines and other devices banned by the Protect Illinois Communities Act. 

PICA, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 10, 2023, prohibits the sale or possession of semi-automatic rifles — commonly known as assault weapons — as well as .50-caliber rifles and corresponding ammunition in Illinois. Residents may continue to possess devices purchased before PICA’s passage. 

Officials who support PICA have said the law’s passage was motivated by recent mass shootings that have happened in Illinois and nationwide.

“We will keep fighting — bill by bill, vote by vote, and protest by protest — to ensure that future generations only hear about massacres like Highland Park, Sandy Hook and Uvalde in their textbooks,” Pritzker said at the signing ceremony.

According to the latest update from the Illinois State Police, fewer than 30,000 individuals disclosed owning banned weapons or devices between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. There are approximately 2.4 million registered gun owners in Illinois.

There have been several legal challenges to PICA. On Dec. 14, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a request from the National Association for Gun Rights and gun shop owner Robert Bevis to temporarily block the act. U.S. District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn released an order on Dec. 22 refusing to delay the Jan. 1 deadline for registering banned devices. 

McGlynn had issued a previous injunction on Apr. 28 preventing PICA’s enforcement. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put a hold on that injunction on May 4.

The Illinois Supreme Court and 7th Circuit upheld PICA in separate decisions on Aug. 11 and Nov. 3, respectively. 

Several county sheriffs, including those from DuPage and Will Counties in northeastern Illinois, have said they will not enforce PICA. However, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told Courthouse News Service he supports and will enforce the law. 

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Twitter: @edwardsimoncruz

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