An Oregon judge accused sheriffs who, citing the Constitution, refuse to enforce federal and state gun control laws of embracing “racist and white nationalist ideologies.”

The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled that local governments in the state cannot declare themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries and prohibit police from enforcing statewide gun laws. It was the first court defeat for the concept, which has been adopted by as many as 1,200 conservative local governments in response to Democrat-run cities and local jurisdictions that have declared themselves “sanctuary cities” and refuse to enforce federal immigration laws.

Some of these ordinances are symbolic, but the court reviewed a measure enacted in Columbia County that would have imposed thousands of dollars in fines on officials who attempt to enforce federal and state gun laws. It said the ordinance would “create a ‘patchwork quilt’ of firearms laws in Oregon, where firearms regulations that applied in some counties would not apply in Columbia County,” which the court found would violate state law.

The county ordinance was backed by gun rights groups, including the Oregon Firearms Federation and Gun Owners of America (GOA).

While disappointed with the ruling overall, these groups expressed shock at a “scathing, incendiary, and frightening” concurring opinion by Chief Judge Jim Egan, who accused GOA of advancing conspiracy theories about the United Nations and invoking “antisemitic and racist tropes.” …

Gun Owners of America forcefully denied this characterization of their argument.