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Supreme Court Likely to Uphold Biden's Ghost Gun Regulation in Garland v. VanDerStok

Oct 8, 2024, 01:42 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a significant case on Tuesday regarding the Biden administration's regulation of 'ghost guns,' which are firearms assembled from kits or 3D-printed parts that lack serial numbers and are difficult to trace. The case, Garland v. VanDerStok, challenges a 2022 rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that mandates these kits to have serial numbers and requires purchasers to undergo background checks. The regulation aims to curb the proliferation of untraceable weapons, which have been linked to a rise in crime. Early indications suggest that the Supreme Court justices are likely to uphold the regulation, with several justices expressing skepticism towards the challenge. If upheld, the rule would enforce background checks, serial numbers, and sales records for ghost guns, aligning them with other firearms regulations. The justices seemed to agree that the 1968 Gun Control Act allows the regulation of untraceable weapons assembled from kits, and Justice Barrett and Chief Justice Roberts appeared skeptical of the challenge from the 5th Circuit.