Gottheimer announces new action to combat undetectable guns, keep stadiums safe

HACKENSACK, NJ (Bergen County) – U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Thursday, in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, announced new federal action that he is taking to combat undetectable guns and secure public stadiums as part of his Common Sense Gun Safety Strategy.

Gottheimer made today’s announcement at the Bogota Savings Bank Center, home of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights’ Basketball team, and stressed the importance of public safety ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will host its championship game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

According to Everytown, New Jersey averages 435 firearm deaths and 1,265 firearm injuries a year. Guns are tied for the second-leading cause of death among children and teens in New Jersey.

In 2023, more than 40,000 people across our country died because of gun violence. The threat of gun violence has only intensified with undetectable guns — firearms that are designed to evade metal detectors and scanners because they contain less than 3.7 ounces of metal. A subset of undetectable guns are also untraceable ghost guns, which are sometimes made or modified with 3D-printed plastic parts. Since 2017, more than 37,000 ghost guns have been recovered by America’s law enforcement. Because of their design, criminals can sneak undetectable guns into concert venues, stadiums, and airports and wreak major havoc.

Undetectable firearms are of special concern ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. More than one million people will come to the tri-state area for the eight games played at MetLife Stadium, and millions more will travel across the country for seventy-eight total World Cup games. As a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Gottheimer is keenly focused on neutralizing security threats — including undetectable guns — from lone wolf attackers, homegrown extremists, and organized terror groups like ISIS.

“Here’s the bottom line: the last thing that anyone should have to worry about when they head to a stadium with their family is whether they’ll be safe from gun violence,” Gottheimer said. “With my Common Sense Gun Safety Strategy, we can put a stop to undetectable guns and keep fans safe at stadiums across our state.”

Gottheimer’s Work to Stop Undetectable Guns and Protect Stadiums Includes:

• Legislation to fund security ahead of the 2026 World Cup. As part of the upcoming Homeland Security appropriations package, Gottheimer will submit legislation that allocates $620 million for World Cup security to host cities and law enforcement, which can be used for increased policing, fire and medical services, screening, and more. By clawing back federal dollars for these resources, Jersey can avoid raising state and municipal taxes.
• A bipartisan reauthorization of the undetectable firearms ban — and now, action to make that ban permanent. In March, Gottheimer worked with Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) to reauthorize the Undetectable Firearms Act, which outlaws the manufacture and use of undetectable firearms through 2031. Gottheimer will now work with colleagues across the aisle and in the Senate to make that ban permanent.
• A letter to the country’s major sports leagues, urging them to form an inter-league task force to reduce the risk of gun violence and stay ahead of undetectable firearm technology. The letter calls on the leagues — the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, MLS, and NASCAR — to work with lawmakers, law enforcement, and FIFA to closely coordinate ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Gottheimer has been focused on commonsense gun safety solutions since he first entered office. In 2022, as co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, he worked with his colleagues to craft and pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the greatest expansion of gun safety in three decades. Before that, he introduced the bipartisan ALYSSA Act, which will require schools to install silent panic alarms in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and worked to pass bipartisan legislation through the House that strengthened background checks.

Gottheimer was joined by Bergen County Commissioner Chairwoman Germaine Ortiz, Commissioner Dr. Joan Voss, Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Fairleigh Dickinson University Provost Dr. Benjamin Rifkin Bergen-Passaic Moms Demand Action Co-Lead Robyn Platis, and Bergen-Passaic Moms Demand Action Community Outreach Lead Randi Blumberg.