To Whom It May Concern: I’m writing as a law-abiding citizen who is deeply concerned about the Department of Justice’s proposal to merge the ATF with the DEA. This merger may sound like bureaucratic efficiency on paper, but in practice, it threatens to dangerously expand federal power over responsible gun owners like me. Combining the ATF and DEA risks blurring the line between constitutional rights and criminal behavior. Merging the two creates a dangerous perception that exercising my rights is somehow criminal, just because they’d fall under the same agency. Even worse, the DEA’s massive size and funding would supercharge the ATF. More agents, more surveillance, more military-style raids—not on drug cartels, but on gun owners. The ATF already has a history of overreach and abuse, and giving it access to the DEA’s resources would only make that worse. This merger was first proposed decades ago by anti-gun Democrats and has long been part of the gun control lobby’s wish list. It doesn’t represent reform. Gun Owners of America is right to warn about a potential merger being a backdoor expansion of gun control power that could easily be used against us by a future administration that doesn’t respect the Second Amendment. I urge you to reject this merger. The ATF shouldn’t be rewarded with more power and resources. It should be downsized, restrained, and held accountable. Please don’t allow a merger that undermines our rights and expands federal overreach.

Dear President Trump, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed merger of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This is a deeply misguided idea that would only expand federal power in dangerous ways—particularly against law-abiding gun owners. Many Americans, myself included, support efforts to abolish the ATF—not supersize it. This agency has a troubling history of abuse, and increasing its size and power only increases the risk of further tragedy. You may recall the recent case of Brian Malinowski, the Arkansas man who was killed by the ATF in his own home. His only so-called “crime” was selling firearms from his personal collection—something that millions of Americans do. Yet, the ATF sent a heavily armed raid team to his door, with deadly consequences. Expanding the ATF by merging it with the DEA would only make things worse. The ATF does not need more militarized units or tactical resources—especially not ones inherited from the DEA—only to be used and weaponized by a future anti-gun administration to target peaceful gun owners. Until the ATF is disbanded, as organizations like Gun Owners of America rightly advocate, it should remain as it is: Underfunded, Understaffed, And incapable of carrying out more Waco- or Ruby Ridge-style raids. If this merger goes forward, the consequences will be alarming: The ATF’s budget would triple, Its workforce would swell by 10,000 new employees, And its access to tactical units would quadruple. That’s not consolidation—it’s escalation. And it’s a threat to civil liberties. I urge you to oppose this merger and instead start listening to Americans who are demanding restraint, not expansion, from our federal government.

Dear President Trump, As a law-abiding American and strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I’m writing to express deep concern over the proposed merger of the ATF and DEA. This plan may sound like an effort to improve government efficiency, but in reality, it risks turning gun ownership into something treated on the same level as drug trafficking. The constitutional right to keep and bear arms should never be lumped in with criminal drug activity. Gun Owners of America has warned that if this merger goes through, the ATF could suddenly gain access to the DEA’s far larger budget, tactical units, and international intelligence resources. That kind of power in the hands of an agency already known for controversial operations like Fast and Furious is incredibly dangerous. It would triple the enforcement capacity of ATF overnight and allow future administrations to use these tools to crack down on law-abiding gun owners. We should be scaling back these abuses, not empowering them. After all, this new agency could be horribly abused by any future administration willing to treat lawful gun ownership as a threat. I urge your administration to reject this merger. Instead of combining two agencies with very different missions, we should focus on protecting constitutional rights and targeting violent criminals. Please stand with the millions of Americans like me who want to see less government overreach, not more.