New ghost gun regulations set to go into effect after judge denies request to put rules on hold

The Biden administration's new regulations on so-called ghost guns are set to go into effect Wednesday after a federal judge denied a request to pause the rules while a legal challenge makes its way through the court system. 

Chief U.S. District Judge Peter Welte in Fargo, North Dakota, rejected a request for injunctive relief in a Republican-backed lawsuit that seeks to stop the White House from implementing the new restrictions that will treat ghost guns — which can be made from parts bought online or with 3D printers — like other firearms sold in the U.S.

"The Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate likelihood of success on the merits and irreparable harm," Welte wrote in his decision. "Accordingly, the balance of the Dataphase factors weigh against injunctive relief, and the Court denies the Plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary and/or permanent injunction."