New York is joining a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration to stop a Texas-based company from publishing instructions for 3D-printed guns on its website.
Defense Distributed announced it plans to make 3D gun blueprints available on Aug. 1, after reaching a settlement with the federal government.
The new lawsuit against the State Department was filed in Seattle, Washington federal court by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maryland, and the District of Columbia are also filing suit.
Ferguson has asked the court for a nationwide temporary restraining order to bar the administration from lifting export-control restrictions. He also wants to prevent Defense Distributed posting the downloadable guns online."
He also argues that the State Department's actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act, by neglecting to inform Congress of the changes, in addition to state's rights under the Tenth Amendment.
In 2015, Defense Distributed sued the federal government after the U.S. State Department forced the removal of the instruction manuals from the internet.The federal government successfully argued before a federal trial court and federal appeals court that the manuals violate firearm export laws. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.Then, the federal government settled the case last month. As part of the settlement, the Trump administration will allow the blueprints for downloadable guns for unlimited public distribution in any form. This will give anyone with a 3D printer access to these weapons.