CHICAGO — Two Illinois political candidates are challenging federal and state laws that ban people with felony records from owning firearms, arguing the policies are unconstitutional and deny due process.
Andy Williams Jr. and Tyrone Muhammad filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, with an amended complaint submitted March 7, 2024. In a Sept. 11, 2025, press release, the candidates reaffirmed their stance that blanket firearm bans for people with felony convictions violate fundamental rights.
The men say the laws treat all people with felony records as permanent threats to public safety, regardless of their rehabilitation or time since release.
Background
Williams served time for a robbery conviction and has remained law abiding since his release in 1991. He is currently running for Illinois attorney general; he’s a member of For The People, LLC, AWJ Ministries , a Painter, and a married family man.
Muhammad, who served time for murder, went on to found ECCSC (Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change) a nonprofit focused on community advocacy. He is now a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Both men argue that their lived experiences make them uniquely positioned to highlight how existing laws disproportionately affect people who have rebuilt their lives.
Constitutional Questions
On Feb. 7, 2025, former President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14206, directing the U.S. attorney general to protect the right to bear arms. Trump called the Second Amendment “an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty.”
Williams and Muhammad argue those protections must also apply to people who have served their sentences. They note that many formerly incarcerated people cannot afford private security and rely on their constitutional rights for protection.
Courts have also ruled that police have no constitutional duty to protect individuals:
In DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, 489 U.S. 189 (1989), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the state was not required to protect a child from an abusive father despite prior warnings. Read the case.
In Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005), the Court found that police could not be sued for failing to enforce a restraining order that may have prevented the deaths of three children. Read the case.
“These rulings show that the government cannot guarantee personal safety,” the candidates said. “If police don’t have to protect us, then we must have the right to protect ourselves.”
The Legal Challenge
The lawsuit contests 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and Illinois statute 720 ILCS 5/24-1.1(a)(e), which bar people with felony convictions from possessing firearms.
Williams and Muhammad contend the laws are unconstitutional, overly broad and discriminatory. They are calling for legislative changes or constitutional amendments that would replace categorical bans with standards based on individual circumstances.
Call to Action
“I’m calling on others to join this fight,” Williams said. “Support the lawsuit by filing a motion to intervene. Watch for upcoming town halls where we’ll talk about your rights. I’m running for attorney general. I’ll protect the rights of the people, including the formerly and currently incarcerated people and their families.”
Communications Generalist | Cultural Strategist | Data & Business Analyst 