Illinois gun groups report confusion, 'civil disobedience' after deadline passes to register 'assault' weapons

On Sunday, several migrants were spotted arriving at the Chicago Rockford International Airport in northern Illinois from Texas. Never miss a news update with a free account which allows unlimited access to articles, videos, and more! By providing your email, you consent to Fox News' Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the rest of the content, just check your email and follow the instructions provided.

In other news, Illinois gun collectives report bewilderment among firearm carriers as the state attempts to implement a new law that obliges them to register "assault" weapons under a new prohibition. The law, signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, required all weapon owners to register their assault weapons with the state before the ban going into effect on January 10th.

Nevertheless, very few of the over 2.4 million Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cardholders have actually registered their weapons, with only 112,350 disclosures filed as of December 31, 2023, as per state police records. Another 29,357 disclosures were weltering under completion.

Gun rights promotion organizations have communicated to Fox News Digital that the new law's ambiguity is sparking "confusion" among firearms owners in the state. Dan Eldridge, the president of the lobby group, Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois, specified that "ignorance of the law" was predominantly contributing to non-compliance.

Responses to the vagueness of the law have varied. Some say that the new law necessitates registering assault weapons and high-capacity magazines - a claim refuted by Eldridge, who stated that magazines are not required, nor eligible, to be registered due to their lack of a serial number.

Additionally, Eldridge highlighted a trend of "civil disobedience” contributing to low registration numbers with numerous sheriffs and county state attorneys refusing to enforce this act. Thus, residents of those counties had little reason to register.

On contradictory note, a spokesperson for the Illinois State Police (ISP) specified that not all FOID card owners are gun possessors, which Eldridge rejected.

John Boch, executive director of the Illinois Guns Save Life group, reported that while thousands have registered their arms, millions more have not. He also criticized the state legislature's enforcement of the law as both “vague” and non-compliant with public notice regulations in the state constitution.

He shared that several individuals had inadvertently registered firearms they weren’t required to, adding to the confusion of the law and ISP rules.

In response to the low level of compliance, Ted Riva, president of the Dewitt County Sportsman's Club in Illinois, rather dramatically described it as a resounding ‘defiance’ against the governor and his 'deceptive associates. He characterized the resistance as the result of law-abiding firearm owners being tired of taking the blame for criminal actions.

Erich Pratt, Gun Owners of America’s senior vice president, asserted that while some Illinois gun owners might be oblivious to their transgression of the new law, it is blatant civil disobedience that stands out. He identified a moral duty to challenge laws that are deemed unconstitutional.

Gun Owners of America is leading one of the legal challenges against the ban. Fox News Digital approached Pritzger's office for comment but received none. However, the Illinois state police have announced that they will not bring charges against residents who register their property post-deadline.