New York Must Shut Down the Plastic Pipeline to Protect Our Kids
Technology is intended to be an engine of progress, giving students new horizons for discovery. But right now, we are witnessing that same technology being used for a much darker purpose. As the executive director of Moms Demand Action and the president of the New York State United Teachers, we are joining forces to address a new and emerging digital threat that jeopardizes public safety. We are sounding the alarm on the “Plastic Pipeline,” a network that allows gun traffickers and unauthorized users to sidestep New York’s strong gun safety laws with nothing more than a digital file and a 3D printer. To protect our children, we urge New York state legislators to include legislation proposed by Governor Hochul to address the rise of DIY machine guns and illegal 3D printed ghost guns in the final FY27 budget.
To be clear, this is not some hypothetical danger in the distant future. 3D-printed guns and accessories are already appearing in our own neighborhoods in the hands of children, extremists, and criminals. The evidence is everywhere: In Utica and Ramapo, investigations recently revealed a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old allegedly running small-scale 3D-printed gun operations right from their bedrooms. In Astoria, a raid on a residential apartment uncovered 3D-printed ghost guns alongside improvised explosive devices and a “hit list” targeting police officers and judges. In 2024, state law enforcement recovered over 100 3D-printed firearms and designs from an individual who allegedly expressed violent anti-government views. Just last month in Buffalo, we saw this reality play out again when an 18-year-old was arrestedafter law enforcement seized a 3D printer and an array of firearm components being manufactured in a residential community.
This unregulated technology is also fueling the rise of DIY machine guns. Small, 3D-printed devices, such as “switches,” can transform a standard semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun in minutes, allowing deadly, untraceable accessories to fall into the hands of those who should never have access to them. The consequences are staggering. Nationally, ATF data shows that recoveries of these conversion devices surged by 784% between 2019 and 2023. We are seeing that surge here at home, as law enforcement in Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse have all seen a rise in DIY machine guns turning up at crime scenes, including cases of murder and attempted murder. These converted weapons were used in the fatal shooting of a father visiting his son at Marist University, and in the carjacking of an NYPD Sergeant in Harlem. When our law enforcement finds themselves up against military-grade firepower on a standard city street, it is clear that the “Plastic Pipeline” has outpaced our current laws.
Parents and educators are right to see 3D printers as vital tools for the next generation of engineers. Unfortunately, these same machines are currently being manipulated into personal gun factories. We cannot allow technology designed for innovation, learning, and creativity to become a loophole that renders our gun safety progress obsolete. Luckily, the solution already exists. New York can, and must, require that 3D printers sold in our state are equipped with software that detects and blocks firearm and illegal gun-part files. Safety must be hardwired into the technology our children use.
Ending the DIY machine gun crisis also requires accountability from the gun industry. For too long, manufacturers have knowingly produced and profited off pistols that are uniquely susceptible to these illegal modifications, 3D-printed and otherwise. Gun manufacturers cannot be immune to the same level of scrutiny we give to every other industry when it comes to consumer safety. We are calling on lawmakers to require these companies to ensure their products cannot be easily modified into machine guns and weaponized against our neighborhoods.
We cannot wait for tragedy to strike before we decide to catch up to the digital curve. This is why we came together alongside Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action at the capitol for their annual Advocacy Day in Albany. Alongside students, parents, and survivors, we met with legislators to ask for their support for Governor Hochul’s proposals to hold the industry accountable, stop the spread of DIY machine guns, and prevent 3D printers from printing illegal guns. And we’re not backing down.
We must act now to ensure that technology remains a tool for our children’s future, rather than a blueprint for their harm. New York has always led the way on gun safety. It is time to do it again.
Angela Ferrell-Zabala is the Executive Director of Moms Demand Action. Melinda Person is the President of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT).
