Reps. Thompson, Cicilline, Espaillat lead effort seeking ghost gun enforcement actions

U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) have joined 135 colleagues in forwarding correspondence they said encourages strong enforcement actions against ghost guns.

The legislators sent letters to President Joe Biden, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steve Dettelbach regarding the matter.

“It is unacceptable that ghost guns could continue to be sold to anyone – including those convicted of felonies and violent domestic offenses, children, and gun traffickers who federal law prohibits from purchasing or possessing a firearm,” the legislators wrote. “We urge you to immediately rescind the Open Letter and be clear in guidance and enforcement actions that all frames and receivers, including those which have reached a stage of manufacture such that they are clearly recognized as unfinished frames or receivers, must be serialized. We look forward to hearing from the Administration on specific plans to communicate to all stakeholders that the ghost gun regulation covers parts that can be readily converted, even if they are sold without tools, equipment, or instructions if those are easily obtainable by the general public.”

The lawmakers maintain ghost guns will continue to endanger communities unless stopped with strong enforcement actions.

“Ghost guns are one of the fast-growing factors contributing to the epidemic of gun violence in our nation,” Thompson, chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said. “These weapons pose a threat to our law enforcement officers, our community, and the safety of our children. That’s why I am working with the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to pursue common sense solutions that stop the proliferation of these untraceable firearms into our community while maintaining our Second Amendment rights.”