Louisiana, alongside a coalition of other states, has successfully blocked President Joe Biden’s ban on private firearm sales. In April, the Justice Department expanded rules requiring background checks and licenses for private gun sales. The ATF’s new final rule could potentially shut down gun shows and prohibit any private gun transactions between citizens.
These restrictions would mandate that individuals obtain and pay for a license and undergo a background check to sell a firearm. Critics argue this is unconstitutional, intrusive, and a direct attack on Second Amendment rights. They contend that hundreds of thousands of law-abiding gun owners across the country could be labeled as dealers or criminals for engaging in the protected private purchase or sale of firearms.
In May, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sued the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly attempting to curtail Americans’ constitutional right to privately buy and sell firearms.
A United States District Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division granted a motion for a preliminary injunction on June 11.