The Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday appeared ready to rule against the Mexican government’s attempt to hold U.S. gun manufacturers liable for cartel violence in Mexico caused by guns purchased in the United States.
Multiple justices questioned whether Mexico’s lawsuit seeking $10 billion in damages ran afoul of a 2005 law that restricts the legal challenges that can be brought against gunmakers, and whether gunmakers can be held responsible for the allegedly illegal actions of their customers.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pointed out that when Congress passed the 2005 law, known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, they intended to make certain that Congress, not the courts, regulated firearms.
