Attorney General Ellison sues Trump Administration to prevent efforts to distribute thousands of machine gun devices across country
Attorney General Ellison joins 15 other attorneys general in suing the ATF over illegal actions involving forced reset triggers
June 9, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison today announced he and a coalition of 15 other attorneys general are suing the Trump Administration, and in particular the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), over its official plans to distribute thousands of machine gun conversion devices (MCD) to communities across the United States.
The ATF’s action involves forced reset triggers (FRTs), which dramatically increase the rate of fire of some semi-automatic firearms. Although the ATF previously classified FRTs as machine guns, the ATF—under directive from Trump Administration leadership—signed a settlement agreement that promises to stop enforcing federal law against FRTs and that promises to redistribute thousands of FRTs the ATF had previously seized. The multistate litigation seeks to prevent that imminent redistribution, because FRTs are illegal to possess under federal law.
"The last thing Minnesota needs is more lethal firearms on our streets, which is why I am so disturbed by the Trump Administration’s plans to release thousands of previously seized and illegal machinegun conversion devices,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison. “These devices pose a threat to the safety of the people of Minnesota and members of law enforcement, so I am filing a lawsuit to block this unlawful action. I remain committed to using every tool at my disposal to improve public safety and defend the well-being of Minnesotans across our state.”
In recent years, machine gun conversion devices like FRTs, which dramatically increase a firearm’s rate of fire, have been frequently used in violent crimes and mass shootings, worsening the gun violence epidemic in the United States. Firearms equipped with MCDs are able to exceed the rate of fire of many fully automatic firearms, firing up to 20 rounds in one second. The ATF has noted a significant rise in the use of MCDs, leading to increasing incidents of machine-gun fire – up 1,400% from 2019 through 2021.
Since at least 1975, the ATF has classified devices that operate similarly to FRTs as machine guns prohibited by federal law. FRT devices replace the standard trigger on a semiautomatic firearm to allow the shooter to maintain continuous fire with one trigger pull, similar to the operation of fully automatic weapons. Despite the prohibition, in recent years, the ATF estimates that at least 100,000 FRTs have been distributed across the country. The ATF’s records also establish that machinegun conversion devices, including FRTs, are showing up more often at crime scenes.
Multiple lawsuits seeking either to enforce or challenge the prohibition on FRTs were filed during the Biden Administration. A federal judge in New York agreed that FRTs are banned under federal law. A federal judge in Texas disagreed and held that FRTs do not qualify as machine guns under federal law, but that ruling was on appeal.
On May 16, 2025, the Trump Administration announced that it has now settled these lawsuits—and done so in a way that eviscerates the federal FRT prohibition. The ATF has agreed to abandon its enforcement actions and appeals; promised to stop enforcing the federal ban on machineguns against FRTs, even against individuals and sellers who were not parties to any of these lawsuits; and pledged to redistribute FRTs that it previously seized.
Today’s lawsuit seeks to prevent the redistribution of FRTs because they are prohibited by U.S. law, which prohibits anyone from owning machine guns, including devices that convert firearms into automatic weapons. The lawsuit explains that the federal government cannot violate U.S. law, even when it tries to bury those violations in a settlement agreement.
The coalition will seek a preliminary injunction to halt the Trump Administration from distributing FRT devices in ways that directly harm Plaintiff States in contravention of federal law.
The lawsuit explains that the redistribution of machine gun conversion devices will permanently threaten public safety nationwide. And as the lawsuit highlights, the ATF has even admitted that returning FRTs in states that prohibit them would “aid and abet” violations of state laws. The Attorneys General seek to prevent those harms from occurring.
Attorney General Ellison was joined in filing today’s lawsuit against the ATF by the attorneys general of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
Protecting Minnesotans and Improving Public Safety
Today’s lawsuit is not the first time Attorney General Ellison filed suit to improve public safety and protect Minnesotans from dangerous firearm conversion devices. On December 12, 2024 Attorney General Ellison announced that he was suing Glock for manufacturing, marketing, and selling semi-automatic handguns that Glock knows can easily be converted into illegal machine guns with a device known as a “Glock switch.”
Glock has known for nearly 40 years that its semi-automatic handguns can be easily converted into illegal machine guns. Glock could fix this problem by changing its handgun design to prevent the easy conversion of legal Glock handguns into illegal machine guns. Not only has Glock not chosen to do so, but it has also continued to glorify and promote the “fun” of shooting a fully automatic Glock, in full knowledge both that its semi-automatic handguns can be quickly and easily converted into machine guns and that machine guns are illegal in the United States.
Although Glock does not manufacture switches itself, many switches bear Glock’s logo and Glock knows they are commonly called “Glock switches.” They can be purchased for as little as $10 apiece or printed by anyone with a 3D printer.
Attorney General Ellison seeks to compel Glock to make design changes that would inhibit the ability of a Glock switch to easily convert a Glock into a machine gun, pay civil penalties, and disgorge profits it has made through its illegal conduct.
