US border patrol collected DNA from 1000s of US citizens for years, data shows
13 hours ago
- #DNA collection
- #privacy violation
- #government surveillance
- A 25-year-old US citizen had their DNA collected at Chicago’s Midway airport without criminal charges and added to the FBI’s database.
- Around 2,000 US citizens, including minors as young as 14, had their DNA collected by DHS and shared with the FBI between 2020-2024.
- CBP collected DNA from detained migrants, including children, storing genetic data of about 133,000 minors in a federal criminal database.
- CBP lacks a system to verify lawful reasons for DNA collection, leading to unauthorized swabbing of US citizens.
- In 865 out of 2,000 cases, US citizens had DNA taken without formal charges or judicial review.
- DNA data in criminal databases can expose sensitive genetic relations, potentially implicating innocent individuals in investigations.