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The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database
- The US government has collected DNA samples from over 133,000 migrant children and teenagers, including a 4-year-old, and uploaded them into a criminal database for law enforcement purposes.
- The DNA collection program by CBP reaches deeply into the lives of migrant children, storing their genetic data in a system originally designed for convicted sex offenders and violent criminals.
- Experts express concerns that the children's genetic material will be stored indefinitely and that the DNA dragnet could lead to extensive profiling without proper safeguards.
- The records show CBP swabbed the cheeks of between 829,000 and 2.8 million individuals, estimating over 1.5 million unique swabs, including around 133,539 children and teenagers.
- This vast expansion of biometric surveillance specifically targets migrant populations, including children.
- The DNA samples are registered in the FBI-administered Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) used to match DNA collected from crime scenes or convictions to identify suspects.
- Despite DHS policy exempting minors under 14 from DNA collection, as many as 227 children aged 13 or younger had their DNA collected by CBP, with the youngest being a 4-year-old.
- Privacy advocates and experts raise concerns about the ethics and implications of collecting and storing genetic information of migrants, particularly children, in a criminal database.
- The mass DNA collection effort at the border has raised questions about the government treating all border crossers, regardless of age or legal status, as potential suspects in future crimes.
- While CODIS data is meant for identification in criminal cases, concerns persist about potential privacy violations, discrimination, and misuse of genetic information in the future.
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