DHS Faces New Pressure over DNA Taken from Immigrant Children
10 months ago
- #Immigration
- #DNA Collection
- #Surveillance
- Senator Ron Wyden demands explanations from DHS and DOJ regarding massive DNA collection from immigrants, including children.
- Over 133,000 migrant children and teenagers have had their DNA collected, with profiles stored in the FBI's CODIS database.
- Critics argue CODIS was not designed for civil immigration detainees' genetic data, especially minors, and retains information indefinitely.
- DHS has collected DNA from tens of thousands of minors, with over 70% from Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti.
- Wyden raises concerns that these children will be treated as suspects in future crimes indefinitely due to their DNA being in CODIS.
- The US government's DNA collection focuses heavily on immigrants, feeding data into systems originally built for criminal tracking.
- Georgetown Law analysis shows over 250,000 DNA samples added to CODIS in four months, turning it into a migrant DNA warehouse.
- Wyden seeks details on the legal authority, policies, and oversight governing DNA collection, storage, and usage.
- The practice is criticized as a potential stalking horse for normalizing genetic profiling in everyday policing.
- Experts warn that surveillance technologies tested on immigrants often expand to the general population, eroding civil liberties.