{"id":2575728,"date":"2026-03-03T17:45:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-states-move-to-defend-usps-gun-shipping-ban\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T17:47:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:47:43","slug":"democratic-states-move-to-defend-usps-gun-shipping-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-states-move-to-defend-usps-gun-shipping-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic states move to defend USPS gun shipping ban"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocratic-states-move-to-defend-usps-gun-shipping-ban%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2575728&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Three Democratic states\u2014New Jersey, New York, and Delaware\u2014moved too intervene in a federal case to defend a 1927 federal law that bans the U.S. Postal Service from shipping guns after the Justice Department said it would not defend the statute, citing a legal opinion that it violates the Second Amendment. The lawsuit, brought by the Gun Owners of America against the USPS, argues the restriction infringes constitutional rights, while the DOJ argued the law is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.The states argue that striking down the ban could invite a flood of concealed firearms mailed into their states and undermine decades of gun-regulation efforts, so they seek to provide the defense to the law themselves. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines is expected to decide in the coming months whether to allow the states to intervene. The article also notes related gun-rights developments, including a Supreme Court hearing in a separate case and a past ruling about the Postal Service\u2019s liability in undelivered mail.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Democratic states move to defend USPS gun shipping ban after DOJ declines<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2514228\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A trio of Democratic states is asking a judge to let them defend a federal law barring the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/usps\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2443\">U.S. Postal Service<\/a> from shipping <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/guns-and-firearms\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"780\">guns<\/a>, after the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> said it would not defend the statute in an open lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"167\">Justice Department<\/a> announced in a filing earlier this year in a lawsuit brought against USPS that it would not defend a 1927 federal law banning handguns from being shipped by the USPS, citing the department&rsquo;s Jan. 15 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/olc\/media\/1424001\/dl\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/olc\/media\/1424001\/dl\">legal opinion<\/a> that the law is unconstitutional under the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/second-amendment\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1043\">Second Amendment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4478653\/doj-will-defend-trump-executive-orders-targeting-law-firms\/\">DOJ reverses course and will defend Trump executive orders targeting law firms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4478314\/suspect-accused-killing-israeli-embassy-staffers-pleads-not-guilty-new-charges\/\">Suspect accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers pleads not guilty to new charges<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4478070\/justice-department-abandons-defense-trump-executive-orders-targeting-law-firms\/\">Justice Department abandons defense of Trump executive orders targeting law firms<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>With the federal government declining to defend the law, three Democratic states &mdash; New Jersey, New York, and Delaware &mdash; filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on Monday <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.pawd.321401\/gov.uscourts.pawd.321401.46.0.pdf\">to intervene in the lawsuit<\/a> and defend the federal law themselves.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Because the federal government recently announced that it will no longer defend this law on the merits, this Court should grant New Jersey, New York, and Delaware the ability to intervene to provide the Second Amendment defense that no other party currently will,&rdquo; the filing said.<\/p>\n<p>The states argued that striking down the law would &ldquo;spark a flood of concealable arms mailed into&rdquo; their states, which would &ldquo;sharply&rdquo; impair the integrity of their state laws <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gun-control\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"345\">regulating guns<\/a>. They also warn that striking down the law would be an &ldquo;unprecedented&rdquo; reversal of a century of enforcement for gun regulation.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit, brought by the Gun Owners of America against USPS in federal court last year, claims the long-standing law violates their members&rsquo; Second Amendment rights. The DOJ filed a motion with the federal court in January, citing the Jan. 15 legal opinion in support of the group&rsquo;s claims that the law violates the Second Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We conclude that the restriction imposed by section 1715 violates the Second Amendment. Section 1715 makes it difficult to travel with arms for lawful purposes, including self-defense, target shooting, and hunting. The statute also imposes significant barriers to shipping constitutionally protected firearms as articles of commerce, which interferes with citizens&rsquo; incidental rights to acquire and maintain arms,&rdquo; the DOJ legal opinion said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Indeed, the statute ultimately aims to suppress traffic in constitutionally protected articles thus rendering the law per se unconstitutional as to those articles, and we are aware of no historical analogues that would satisfy the government&rsquo;s burden of showing that this unprecedented restriction &lsquo;is consistent with the Nation&rsquo;s historical tradition of firearm regulation,&#8217;&rdquo; the opinion continued.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4469082\/supreme-court-protects-postal-service-undelivered-mail\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4469082\">SUPREME COURT PROTECTS POSTAL SERVICE FROM BEING SUED OVER INTENTIONALLY UNDELIVERED MAIL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines, an appointee of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a>, is overseeing the case and will issue a ruling on whether to allow the states to intervene in the lawsuit in the coming months.<\/p>\n<p>The motion was filed by the states the same day the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/supreme-court\/\" type=\"category\" id=\"11310\">Supreme Court<\/a> heard arguments in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-to-decide-whether-americans-can-carry-guns-in-public\/\" title=\"Supreme ... To Decide Whether Americans Can Carry Guns in Public\">major gun rights case<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gun-rights-advocates-want-feds-to-look-at-prosecuting-hunter-biden\/\" title=\"Gun-Rights Advocates Want Feds to Look at Prosecuting Hunter Biden\">unlawful drug users<\/a>. During arguments in <em>United States v. Hemani<\/em> on Monday, the justices <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4476888\/gorsuch-questions-marijuana-gummy-gun-rights\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4476888\/gorsuch-questions-marijuana-gummy-gun-rights\/\">appeared skeptical<\/a> of the Justice Department&rsquo;s defense of a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal law outlawing unlawful drug users &#038;mdash<\/a>; including those who use marijuana, which is legal in some states &mdash; from possessing a firearm, even when not intoxicated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats seek to defend USPS gun ban as DOJ withdraws<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2575729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP23257091418794.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[16596,72865,11330],"class_list":["post-2575728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-gun-control","tag-state-politics-2","tag-usps"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP23257091418794.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2575728"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2575732,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575728\/revisions\/2575732"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2575729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2575728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2575728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2575728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}