Trump Administration Reverses Biden-Era Crackdown on Gun Trafficking
An analysis of ATF data and DOJ records reveals a 15% drop in trafficking referrals and a 30% rise in prosecutorial declinations as the agency redirects focus toward immigration enforcement.
The Trump administration has dismantled key elements of the Biden administration’s strategy to combat illegal gun trafficking, repealing a “zero tolerance” policy for non-compliant firearms dealers and shifting hundreds of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents to immigration enforcement duties. This reversal has coincided with a measurable decline in federal enforcement actions, including a 15% decrease in referrals for gun trafficking charges in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Under the previous administration, the ATF had spiked license revocations, reaching a record 181 in 2023, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) had prioritised prosecutions for firearms trafficking. The Trump administration has since invited revoked dealers to reapply for new licenses, with the DOJ settling court cases involving previously banned shops. Specific instances include the licensing of Chambered Custom Firearms in Arizona and the reinstatement of a license for a dealer in Oregon with a past domestic violence conviction.
Concurrently, the administration has redirected substantial resources away from domestic firearms regulation. Approximately 1,800 of the ATF’s 2,500 agents participated in immigration enforcement and removal operations as of September 2025. Industry operations investigators were directed to spend at least six hours per week on immigration-related work, such as screening buyers with foreign-sounding names. This shift coincides with staffing reductions, as around 125 of the ATF’s 800-plus inspectors took early retirement offers as part of government efficiency initiatives.
The operational changes have resulted in a measurable decline in federal enforcement actions: referrals for gun trafficking charges decreased by 15% in 2025 compared to 2024, and the DOJ declined 30% more ATF referrals for prosecution in the first year of the Trump administration. While the homicide rate continued to fall in 2025, criminologists warn that the lag time inherent in the illicit gun trade suggests potential future increases in violent crime as enforcement focus moves away from domestic trafficking pipelines.
Regulatory proposals also include reducing record-keeping requirements and limiting scrutiny of state-issued permits, although the DOJ has maintained the definition underlying the existing “ghost gun” rule despite earlier budget indications to the contrary. Former ATF officials and gun-safety advocates have expressed concern that the pullback from domestic trafficking enforcement leaves a void that state and local authorities may struggle to fill, potentially allowing illegal firearms to flow into communities unchecked.
