### US Immigration Authorities Collect DNA from Migrants, Including Children, for National Criminal Database

Recent documents reveal that U.S. immigration authorities are gathering and uploading the DNA of migrants, including children, into a national criminal database. The controversial practice was reported earlier this month and shows a significant expansion of genetic surveillance.

The collected DNA data is stored in the FBI-managed Combined DNA Index System (Codis), which law enforcement agencies use to identify crime suspects nationwide. However, many individuals whose DNA has been collected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have not been accused of any felonies. Nonetheless, CBP is creating detailed DNA profiles on these migrants, making them permanently searchable by law enforcement agencies.

The first report on this practice came from Wired, which estimates that more than 133,000 migrant teens and children’s DNA have been uploaded to Codis. Shockingly, this includes DNA from children as young as four years old. CBP's assistant commissioner of public affairs, Hilton Beckham, stated that the DNA collection is part of efforts to secure borders and prevent criminals such as human smugglers and child sex traffickers from entering American communities.

Experts at Georgetown University and the Center on Privacy and Technology recently published a report indicating that CBP's DNA collection efforts span almost every migrant detained. The report highlights that over 1.5 million DNA profiles have been added to Codis since 2020, marking a 5,000% increase in just three years. Emerald Tse, one of the report's authors, describes this as an "unjustified invasion of privacy" that exacerbates harmful narratives about immigrants and intensifies targeted policing practices.

Government documents detailing each individual whose DNA was collected date back to 2020, with the latest entries from the first quarter of 2025. The records show that of the over 130,000 children and teens whose DNA was collected, nearly 230 were under the age of 13, and more than 30,000 were between 14 and 17 years old.

CBP launched a pilot program for DNA collection from detainees in 2020, following a Department of Justice rule requiring the agency to upload genetic samples to Codis. Initially, CBP aimed to collect DNA from non-US citizens aged 14 to 79. Although the Department of Homeland Security and CBP policy generally exempts children under 14, some discretion is allowed.

The Georgetown report notes that such an expansive genetic data collection would be challenging in a criminal legal context due to stricter regulations. However, the immigration context features fewer limitations, allowing for more extensive DNA collection.

According to CBP, the agency does not store the DNA data but sends it directly to the FBI, where it is stored indefinitely. The report raises concerns about the long-term implications of such extensive genetic surveillance, questioning how it might affect individuals' behaviors and freedoms.

This massive increase in DNA data collection from migrants represents a significant shift in U.S. immigration enforcement practices and raises ethical questions about privacy and civil liberties.