The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered two online gun parts sellers to comply with Biden administration regulations aimed at stopping ghost guns.
The Supreme Court voted 5-4 on Tuesday to allow the Biden administration’s ghost gun regulations to go into effect. Conservative Justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in voting to uphold ghost gun enforcement.
The justices set aside U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor’s injunction blocking Blackhawk Manufacturing & Defense Distributed from enforcing 2022 federal regulations.
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office announced that Ladarius Evans, of Hammond, Louisiana, was found in possession of a “ghost gun” equipped with a Glock switch that turns the handgun into a fully automatic weapon. (Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office)
The rule was issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to target ghost guns that can be made from home kits.
Bans “buy build shoot” kits that individuals can obtain online or in stores without background checks or the usual serial numbers required by the federal government. The kit can be quickly assembled to create a working firearm.
The regulation changed the definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts such as handgun frames and long gun receivers, making them easier to track. This requirement applies regardless of how the firearm is made, including ghost guns made from kits. Sellers under this rule must also conduct background checks on buyers before making a sale.
Biden seeks stability with new gun control efforts targeting ‘ghost guns’
But O’Connor invalidated the rule in July, saying the Biden administration exceeded its authority under gun control laws.
Congress’ definition of a firearm “does not cover parts of a weapon or an aggregate of parts of a weapon, regardless of whether the parts can be readily assembled and capable of firing a projectile,” the judge concluded.
Police said a loaded ghost gun was found inside the stolen car, with four juveniles inside. (Prince George’s County Police Department)
In August, the administration blocked O’Connor’s decision to block the regulation and reinstated it during the appeals process.
The administration said O’Connor’s decision to grant an injunction in favor of the ghost gun kit maker, despite prior intervention by a judge, was a “blatant disregard” of the Supreme Court’s authority.
The Biden administration argued the rule was needed to address the growing number of untraceable guns.
of Ministry of Justice He told the court that local law enforcement seized more than 19,000 ghost guns at crime scenes in 2021, an increase of more than 10 times in just five years.
“The public safety benefit of reversing the flow of ghost guns to dangerous and prohibited persons easily outweighs the modest costs that defendants may incur,” said the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer. said Attorney General Elizabeth Preloger in a court filing.
Supreme Court building in Washington DC (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Plaintiffs, including parts manufacturers, various gun owners, and two gun rights groups (Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation), filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas seeking to block the ghost gun rule. Ta.
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The restrictions will remain in effect while the administration appeals the judge’s ruling to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans and possibly the Supreme Court.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
