Second Amendment Sanctuary Movement 2.0 Underway in Virginia

February 15, 2026
4:35 pm

▶

Listen to Article

Virginia's Second Amendment Sanctuary Movement is roaring back to life, with counties across the Commonwealth doubling down on their sanctuary status in direct defiance of the latest wave of gun control legislation bubbling up from Richmond. This isn't some dusty relic from 2019's insurgent wave—it's Sanctuary 2.0, a calculated resurgence as anti-2A bills like universal background checks, red flag expansions, and assault weapon bans gain traction under Democratic majorities. Places like Rockbridge, Augusta, and Pittsylvania Counties have passed or reaffirmed resolutions declaring they won't enforce unconstitutional laws, signaling to state lawmakers that rural Virginia—home to hunters, sport shooters, and everyday carriers—won't roll over. It's a masterclass in federalism: local sheriffs and boards leveraging their authority to create a patchwork of resistance, much like immigration sanctuaries flipped the script on federal overreach. Dig deeper, and this movement exposes the fragility of top-down gun control in a divided nation. Virginia's 2020 elections flipped the legislature blue, but the sanctuary counties (now over 90% of the state's landmass) prove geography trumps gerrymandering—urban elites in Fairfax and Alexandria can't dictate terms to the Shenandoah Valley. Historically, this echoes the nullification fights of the 1830s or the 1990s militia era, but with a modern twist: social media amplification and lawsuits from groups like the Virginia Citizens Defense League are turning these resolutions into legal shields. Sheriffs like Mark Taylor of Culpeper have gone on record vowing non-enforcement, forcing the state to either back down or waste millions litigating against their own people. For the 2A community, the implications are electric: this is blueprint territory. If Virginia holds the line, it could inspire copycat movements in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and even blue-trending states like Nevada, fracturing national gun control narratives. It reminds us that the Second Amendment isn't a polite suggestion—it's a bulwark against tyranny, activated one county at a time. Gun owners nationwide should watch closely, support these local heroes with donations and votes, and prepare to replicate. The message to Richmond? Your laws stop at the county line. Liberty endures.

Best FFL Software Ranked and Compared!

Virginia’s Second Amendment Sanctuary Movement is roaring back to life, with counties across the Commonwealth doubling down on their sanctuary status in direct defiance of the latest wave of gun control legislation bubbling up from Richmond. This isn’t some dusty relic from 2019’s insurgent wave—it’s Sanctuary 2.0, a calculated resurgence as anti-2A bills like universal background checks, red flag expansions, and assault weapon bans gain traction under Democratic majorities. Places like Rockbridge, Augusta, and Pittsylvania Counties have passed or reaffirmed resolutions declaring they won’t enforce unconstitutional laws, signaling to state lawmakers that rural Virginia—home to hunters, sport shooters, and everyday carriers—won’t roll over. It’s a masterclass in federalism: local sheriffs and boards leveraging their authority to create a patchwork of resistance, much like immigration sanctuaries flipped the script on federal overreach.

Dig deeper, and this movement exposes the fragility of top-down gun control in a divided nation. Virginia’s 2020 elections flipped the legislature blue, but the sanctuary counties (now over 90% of the state’s landmass) prove geography trumps gerrymandering—urban elites in Fairfax and Alexandria can’t dictate terms to the Shenandoah Valley. Historically, this echoes the nullification fights of the 1830s or the 1990s militia era, but with a modern twist: social media amplification and lawsuits from groups like the Virginia Citizens Defense League are turning these resolutions into legal shields. Sheriffs like Mark Taylor of Culpeper have gone on record vowing non-enforcement, forcing the state to either back down or waste millions litigating against their own people.

For the 2A community, the implications are electric: this is blueprint territory. If Virginia holds the line, it could inspire copycat movements in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and even blue-trending states like Nevada, fracturing national gun control narratives. It reminds us that the Second Amendment isn’t a polite suggestion—it’s a bulwark against tyranny, activated one county at a time. Gun owners nationwide should watch closely, support these local heroes with donations and votes, and prepare to replicate. The message to Richmond? Your laws stop at the county line. Liberty endures.

Share this story