Some Illinois counties have turned the term “sanctuary” on its political head in an opposition to state gun laws that they consider increasingly oppressive. Five counties have proclaimed themselves sanctuaries for gun owners, not illegal immigrants.

As Fox News reports, the counties say they will tell employees that state gun control laws, which recently increased the legal age for owning a firearm, do not apply in their jurisdictions.

David Campbell, vice chairman of the Enningham County Board, says the term “sanctuary” has become “a buzzword, a word that really gets attention. With all these sanctuary cities, we just decided to turn it around to protect our Second Amendment rights.”

Campbell says the reverse use of sanctuary is an idea that’s catching on as 20 more Illinois counties have expressed interest in the idea as well as local governments in Oregon and Washington.

But Democrat Kathleen Willis, who represents a Chicago district in the state legislature, told Fox that the counties are out of line.

“I don’t think you can say, ‘I don’t agree with the law so I won’t enforce it I think it sends the wrong message,'” she stated.

In regard to Willis’ comment, Effingham prosecutor Bryan Kibler pointed to a perceived double-standard from liberals. He claims the counties are “just stealing the language that sanctuary cities use,” in order to “get across that our Second Amendment rights are slowly being stripped away.”

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