The U.S. Department of Justice has told Gun Owners of America and the related Gun Owners Foundation that it will maintain the legal arguments it advanced under President Joe Biden in defense of the ATF’s now-repealed “zero tolerance” policy for federal firearms dealers. In an email cited in the gun-rights groups’ latest court filing, a DOJ lawyer said the government has “no plans to abandon its previous arguments,” including its position that the Second Amendment does not guarantee a right for private businesses to sell guns. The stance places the department at odds with President Donald Trump’s public statements condemning the policy, which the ATF rescinded in April after criticism that it allowed licenses to be revoked over minor paperwork errors. Gun Owners of America first sued in 2023, seeking a judicial ruling that would bar any future administration from reinstating the guidance. The groups argue that the DOJ’s refusal to change course risks leaving the policy — or a similar version — available for rapid reinstatement and contradicts Trump’s campaign pledges to roll back firearm restrictions. Although the underlying guidance is no longer in force, the plaintiffs contend the case remains live because the ATF could revive the measure without formal rule-making. The DOJ has not commented publicly on the dispute. A decision on whether the litigation can proceed, and on the merits of the Second Amendment claims, is still pending.