A Michigan attorney is preparing to help people across the state and country restore their gun rights under a long-dormant federal process that could be revived as part of the Trump administration’s push to strengthen Second Amendment protections.
Barton Morris, a Troy-based criminal defense lawyer, says his firm is gearing up to represent people seeking relief under a federal law that allows certain people with nonviolent felony convictions to petition the government to restore their firearm rights.
Morris estimates that roughly 20 million people nationwide and hundreds of thousands in Michigan could qualify for relief if the program is revived. The federal government has projected that about 1 million applications could be filed in the first year alone.
The effort follows President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order directing the Justice Department to review federal actions that may have infringed on Americans’ Second Amendment rights and develop a plan to protect them.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has since taken steps to advance that effort. In an April 8 memo, Bondi announced the creation of a Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force, saying the administration intends to use the Justice Department’s “full might to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”
As part of that initiative, the Justice Department has proposed reviving a federal process under 18 U.S.C. §925(c) that allows people prohibited from possessing firearms because of criminal convictions to apply for relief if they can show they are not likely to pose a danger to public safety.
The process has effectively been unavailable for decades. Since 1992, Congress has included a spending restriction that prevents the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from using federal funds to process the applications. But the Justice Department proposed shifting that responsibility to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, part of a plan included in its fiscal year 2026 budget.
In an interview with Metro Times on Thursday, Morris says many nonviolent offenders have turned around their lives and are not a danger to society.
“This affects a lot of people,” Morris says. “Many of the people I’ve talked to completely changed their lives. They have careers, families, and decades of law-abiding behavior, but they’re still permanently prohibited from possessing a firearm.”
Federal law bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison from possessing a gun, regardless of whether the offense involved violence. The prohibition applies even if the conviction occurred decades ago and the individual has had no further legal trouble.
The rule change covers offenses ranging from fraud and embezzlement to drugs and certain regulatory violations.
Morris says many of the potential applicants he has spoken with have drug convictions or financial crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, or writing bad checks. Others have older marijuana-related felonies.
The proposed federal relief process would allow individuals with nonviolent convictions to apply after a waiting period, which is generally five years after completing their sentence, and demonstrate they are not a threat to public safety.
Applicants would be required to submit criminal records, court documents, and evidence showing rehabilitation, such as letters of support or proof of stable employment. Local law enforcement would also be notified and given an opportunity to weigh in before a decision is made.
Morris says the restoration process would also help address an inconsistency that exists between state and federal law.
Michigan already restores firearm rights in some cases. For example, individuals convicted of third-offense drunken driving can regain their firearm rights under state law after three years. But federal law can still prohibit them from possessing a gun.
Hunters are among those most interested in the change, Morris says.
Many people grew up hunting with family members and lost the ability after a nonviolent conviction years ago, Morris says. Some have become emotional when talking about the possibility of regaining their rights, he says.
“Imagine bonding with your father and grandfather while hunting, and it’s one of your fondest moments,” Morris says. “And then something happens or you get a third drunk driving offense or theft offense and then you are forever forbidden from possessing a firearm again. That would be traumatic.”
Although Morris says he personally does not own firearms, he supports restoring gun rights for people who have demonstrated rehabilitation.
“If someone hasn’t committed a crime in 20 years, they’re likely to continue that path whether or not they own a gun,” he said.
The proposal has drawn criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and gun-control advocates, who warn that restoring firearm rights to people with felony convictions could increase the risk of violence.
Supporters argue the process includes safeguards and would simply allow the government to evaluate cases individually rather than impose a lifetime prohibition regardless of the circumstances.
The Justice Department has not announced a firm timeline for when the application process will begin. But Morris says he expects the program to move forward once the agency finalizes rules and funding, perhaps as early as this month.
In the meantime, his firm has launched a website to prepare for the anticipated demand from people seeking to restore their rights.
“We’ve never had a mechanism like this during my entire legal career,” Morris says. “For people who have rebuilt their lives after a nonviolent conviction, this could finally give them a path to get their constitutional rights back.”
Morris says people interested in seeking help restoring their firearm rights can contact his firm through armedagain.com or by phone at 248-712-1156.
The U.S. Supreme Court also plans to rule soon on whether people who use marijuana can legally possess firearms. The case, United States v. Hemani, challenges a federal law that bars “unlawful users” of controlled substances from owning guns, even in states where cannabis is legal. A decision, expected by summer, could affect millions of Americans and further reshape the boundaries of Second Amendment rights.