(NewsNation) — Immigration authorities are storing DNA from migrant children in an FBI-run database that can track them if they commit future crimes, according to a new report from Wired.
The report revealed that authorities have collected and stored DNA from more than 133,000 migrant children and teens, including at least one 4-year-old, in the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, a national law enforcement database.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency collects data to help secure the border and track potential criminals trying to enter the United States.
“CBP collects DNA samples for submission to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System from persons in CBP custody who are arrested on federal criminal charges, and from aliens detained under CBP’s authority, Hilton Beckham, a CBP spokesperson, told NewsNation.
The Department of Justice keeps the DNA on file in case people commit crimes later, according to Wired.
The move has drawn criticism and privacy concerns, particularly regarding why officials need to keep migrants’ DNA profiles, especially those belonging to minors.
DHS has added more than 1.5M DNA profiles since 2020
The DNA Identification Act allows the government to store DNA from criminals in CODIS.
But in 2020, the Department of Homeland Security also began storing DNA from migrants. The agency quietly released records of this on CPB’s website earlier this year, Wired reported.
In CODIS’ first two decades, the government added 25,000 DNA profiles, according to a report from Georgetown Law’s Center for Privacy and Technology.
Since 2020, DHS has added more than 1.5 million DNA profiles, the center found.
“When we start talking about DNA, we’re talking about some of the most sensitive information possible, making us really vulnerable,” said Stevie Glaberson, the center’s director. “I think what’s important for people to understand is that the risks are not just, even, to the people whose DNA is taken and placed into the system. Very quickly, the risk starts to rebound to all of us.”
Migrants scared to refuse DNA collection: Report
Migrants are often afraid to refuse DNA collection, Glaberson said, raising concerns about consent.
“People who are having their DNA sampled are experiencing it in one of two ways,” Glaberson said. “According to our research, they’re either not aware of what’s happening, or they are too afraid to challenge, to say no.”
Given that DNA carries highly sensitive personal information, privacy advocates have argued that there are unanswered questions about how long the samples are kept and how the data is protected.
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