Minnesota residents were thrust into the national spotlight at the start of the year by immigration enforcement in the state and the ensuing social unrest along with the violence it spawned.
And as Americans tend to do in such times, citizens exercised their Second Amendment rights at a breathtaking pace in January even as protestors descended onto the streets.
According to CBS News, concealed carry permit applications in January were “nearly double” from the same month in 2025.
The natural reaction to social unrest is to ensure the ability to defend loved ones
Citizens filed 4,734 permit applications in January of last year. That number soared to 8,240 last month as the state and nation were gripped by the turmoil on their television screens.
And no matter which side of the political aisle a person resides, the instinct to protect loved ones and property in times of unrest is powerful. For thousands of Minnesota residents, that desire led to choosing to exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Gun buyers responded to threats to 2A rights and the unrest around them
The Twin Cities were at the center of the federal immigration enforcement campaign, and the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the people rushed to gun stores as a result.
“Twin Cities gun sales have seen their largest year-over-year leap since the pandemic, with some cities experiencing double or even triple the demand compared to the same time last year,” the outlet reported. “The data, as well as interviews with gun store owners and gun safety instructors, indicate first-time buyers are largely driving the increase.”
According to the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, worries over political leaders crusading against Second Amendment rights were one of the primary factors in the surge.
Opposition to federal actions in the Twin Cities was cited as the other.
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