The DHS has been harvesting DNA from Americans for years
a day ago
- #DNA surveillance
- #Government oversight
- #Privacy rights
- Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been collecting DNA from US citizens, including minors, without congressional authorization.
- Nearly 2,000 US citizens' DNA samples were sent to the FBI's CODIS database between 2020 and 2024, with 95 being minors as young as 14.
- Many individuals whose DNA was collected were never charged with a crime, raising concerns about legal and ethical violations.
- The FBI's CODIS database, originally for violent crime investigations, has expanded to include DNA from immigrants, travelers, and civil detainees.
- DHS has contributed approximately 2.6 million DNA profiles to CODIS since 2020, with 97% collected under civil authority.
- A 2020 Justice Department rule revoked a waiver allowing DHS to skip DNA collection from immigration detainees, leading to mass sampling.
- Former FBI director Christopher Wray warned that the influx of DNA samples from DHS has overwhelmed the bureau's systems, creating a backlog.
- Under a 2025 executive order, DHS was instructed to use genetic testing to verify family ties and identity, further expanding DNA collection.
- Oversight bodies and lawmakers have raised alarms about the lack of transparency and legal safeguards in DHS's DNA collection program.
- Advocates argue that the program has turned into a genetic surveillance regime, with no procedures to remove improperly obtained profiles.