In a significant ruling on Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld several firearm restrictions in New York City, affirming bans on carrying firearms in key public spaces such as Times Square and on public transportation systems. The court also maintained the prohibition on open carry, aligning with historical firearms laws in the United States.

The decision comes in the wake of the US Supreme Court's 2021 ruling in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, which struck down the state's requirement for concealed carry applicants to demonstrate a "proper cause" for carrying a firearm publicly, citing it as a breach of the Second Amendment. In response, New York State enacted the Concealed Carry Improvement Act (CCIA), which, while eliminating the proper cause requirement, introduced new regulations including the designation of "sensitive" locations where carrying guns is forbidden, even for concealed carry permit holders.

The appeals court's analysis concluded that the challenged provisions do not infringe on the Second Amendment rights as they are consistent with the nation's long-standing tradition of regulating firearms in public spaces. "Plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits because … each of the challenged provisions falls within our Nation’s historical tradition of gun regulations," the court stated in its decision.

This ruling underscores the autonomy of New York State and its cities such as New York City to impose stricter gun laws than those at the federal level. New York City continues to require its own firearms permits, a stipulation that was not altered by the CCIA.

The upheld restrictions are part of a broader effort to balance constitutional rights with public safety concerns, particularly in high-traffic and potentially vulnerable public areas. This decision marks another chapter in the ongoing debate over the boundaries of the Second Amendment and the scope of gun control legislation at both the state and federal levels.